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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23780599">The Cat and the Strawberry</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gitchyfotch/pseuds/Gitchyfotch'>Gitchyfotch</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Bleach</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Shapeshifters, Big sister nel is very epic, Blow Jobs, Cuddling, Explicit Language, Eyeliner grimmjow ftw, Fantasy elements, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Future Angst, Grimmjow b like: what if i was kitty??? as a joke???, Grimmjow has a short temper hehe, Grimmjow has actually gone kitty mode. crazy stuff, Isshin Kurosaki - Freeform, Jealous Grimmjow... but in a friendship way, Karin Kurosaki - Freeform, Light Angst, Light references to past trauma, M/M, Masturbation, Masturbation in Shower, Modern AU, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pining, Platonic Cuddling, Romantic Comedy, Slow Burn, Ulquiorra Cifer - Freeform, Uryu and Grimmjow don't get along, Wolf Children inspired, Yuzu Kurosaki - Freeform, as you do lmfao, basically like... what if i made this into a massive amalgamation of different shoujo anime tropes, blow jobs for real this time, detailed descriptions of scars, dont mind me. just writing the sibling bonds that i wish i had lol, extra points if you can guess what shows inspired this lmao, grimmjow wears eyeliner, i mean... he fantasizes about it lol, meta jokes lol, nelliel tu odelschwanck - Freeform, two homies gazing longingly at one another</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 21:02:44</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>29,304</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23780599</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gitchyfotch/pseuds/Gitchyfotch</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Grimmjow moves to Tokyo in search of a new life. The struggles of modern life abound and it seems that he doesn't have to bear it alone.<br/>Shapeshifting arrancars, modern/college AU. Nelliel is an adult and Ulqiorra is a gamer. Pining, angst, tsundere Grimmjow. The works.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Grimmjow Jaegerjaques/Kurosaki Ichigo</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>114</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. An Awkward Encounter</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The gentle tip tap tip tap of sneakers across pavement was an obsolete distraction from the concoction of thoughts running through Grimmjow's mind. The city was always so noisy. The low rumble of passing cars and the impossible chaos of conversation always left much to be desired. Moving to Tokyo was supposed to be a push for change, an escape from the secluded confines of the countryside. It wasn't a surprise to find that city life wasn't everything that Grimmjow had built it up to be. Between balancing work, rent and school... Grimmjow had recently found himself grinding his sleep again. A sharp gust of wind sent a tense shiver up his spine, guiding his fingers to bury themselves deeper into his pockets. </p><p>            It was only the first week of the semester, sure... but it was still harrowing to walk into class empty handed while his classmates seemed to be carrying enough luggage for a small caravan. The blue haired man hunched his shoulders in retaliation of his peers shifting glances, taking a seat near the back of the class, focusing his piercing glare at the massive blackboard at the front of the room.</p><p>            It didn't take long for the matte black surface to become boring, his gaze alternating between the steady flow of students nestling their way into the lecture hall, and the gentle hustle and bustle of the people outside. The sharp squeak of the chair beside him nearly caused the man to jump right out of his skin. Turning with a snap, Grimmjow was all but ready to snarl at the student confidently dropping his bag onto the desk space adjacent to his. </p><p>          "Jesus fuck-." Grimmjow huffed, taking a breath in hopes to calm his nerves.</p><p>          "Would'ya try to keep down the racket?" He asked, annoyance dripping from his voice. He hadn't even bothered to look up from the red embroidery of the stranger's messenger bag, his scowl still far too piercing to go through the trouble of wiping off.</p><p>          "What? Did I scare you or something?" Grimmjow frowned, snapping his head up to get a look at his classmate just as they moved to sit down. The nerve of this guy! </p><p>          "Fuck no." He huffed, unable to really jab back with anything new. After all, it was pretty obvious by now that he really had been startled. Like a pouting child, Grimmjow leaned back into his chair, crossing his arms over his chest as he glared at the wood grained desk before him. The faint chuckle of the man beside him really wasn't doing much to quell his temper. The impatient tap of his foot against concrete slowly faded away as the professor began his lecture. </p><p>         Modern japanese had never been a particularly interesting or easy class for Grimmjow, but the professor seemed to be approachable enough. *If only he could project his voice a bit more.* Grimmjow's hearing was just fine, but the dull scratching of pencils against paper and the flipping of pages was just about enough to drive him up a fucking wall. </p><p>         "Here," Grimmjow yanked his arm away as he felt the edge of a textbook push against his forearm. Damn, he couldn't remember when he moved to lean forward on the desk. Apparently, his confused look was enough to spur his classmate onward. </p><p>         "You haven't gotten your textbooks yet, right? Just use mine for today." What the hell? Was it normal for this guy to be so damn chipper? Or was having orange hair not enough of an attention grab? Either way, Grimmjow reluctantly accepted the offer. Leaning over slightly to get a better look at the small text printed onto the glossy page. </p><p>        There was that damn squeak again Grimmjow scowled as he turned to look at the redhead beside him, ready to give the guy an earful for all of his fuckin' meddling. Though instead he was greeted with the collar of a white polo and the gentle fanning of orange hair against freckled skin. Too close. Way too close. </p><p>           Grimmjow leaned back a bit, his shoulders tensing up again as he instead focused his gaze on the professor who now seemed to be going on a tangent about the banzai trees in his backyard. God, this was gonna take some getting used to. The tension in Grimmjow must have been damn near tangible if it was enough for the redhead to open his big mouth again. </p><p>           "My bad, I should've worn my contacts today." He quickly apologized, brushing a stray strand of orange hair behind his ear. Grimmjow's eyes followed it's path from start to finish, finding himself lingering on the small patch of exposed skin right behind the redhead's ear. It took a moment for the man to shake himself out of his trance, trying to grasp what he could of the lecture that he's long forgotten. </p><p>          Just as Grimmjow started to get a grasp on what was going on, the shuffling of textbooks across desks erupted across the room. Huh. It was over. Grimmjow turned to his classmate, who was just... staring... Did he expect something from him?<br/>
"Oh... Sorry." Did this kid know how to do anything other than apologize? "I'm Ichigo Kurosaki by the way. I've seen you around campus before, but I haven't gotten your name." Oh, so he was a stalker now too?<br/>
"Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez." The redhead smiled at the response. It was a faint thing, all lips and no teeth, but it still made his heart tighten.<br/>
"So, Jaegerjaquez then. Cool. Could I get your number? I'll text you copies of the notes from today." Grimmjow frowned at that. Despite his disposition, he still found himself reaching into his back pocket to retrieve his phone. Sliding his thumb across the bottom of the screen, he unlocked it and handed it to his classmate.<br/>
"Just punch in your number. I'll message you later." Jaegerjaquez wasn't quite sure what had overcome him... but he just couldn't find it in himself to shoot the redhead down.<br/>
“Here.” The redhead handed his phone back, his phone number punched in with a quick little contact name added. Ichigo Kurosaki. At least he wasn’t dumb enough to add some emoji bullshit. Grimmjow stared at the screen for a moment longer before clicking the power button and shoving it back into his pocket. </p><p>	Without any supplies to pack up, Grimmjow stood from his chair, turning to head out of the classroom. The spring wind bit at his kin once more, his thoughts wandering off again as he began his walk home. He still had to make dinner and get ready for work, and the state his fridge was in now, he’d have to make a quick grocery run between now and then. </p><p>	“Grimmjow! Hold on a second!” This guy again. Grimmjow swore he could feel his patience start to strain past it’s limit. </p><p>	“Since when were we on first name basis, Kurosaki.” The temper in his voice starting to become clear. </p><p>“Jaegerjaquez, are you done with classes for the day?” Ichigo asked, seemingly unphased by his demeanor. </p><p>“Yeah, I’ve only got twelve credits this semester.” What business was that to him? Grimmjow must have been running a fever or something, it wasn’t like him to share information so easily. </p><p>“Mind if I come along? I still have time to burn until I’ve gotta head home.” Well damn, why don’t they just hold hands and skip down the sidewalk together while they’re at it! Grimmjow internally groaned, as he really couldn’t find a good reason to turn the guy down. It seemed harmless enough. </p><p>“Do what you want.” He decided, which seemed to be more than enough for Ichigo as he matched Grimmjow’s pace. The silence between them seemed to be comfortable enough, if it wasn’t for the relentless fidgeting of Kurosaki’s fingers and the awkward dance he was doing with his gaze. Was it really that hard to pick somewhere to look and just stick to it? </p><p>	Ichigo nearly didn’t stop when Grimmjow turned to enter the small convenience store, opening the door and pausing as he let Ichigo inside. The soft chime of the door was familiar as Grimmjow scanned the aisles. It was hard to ignore the strange domestic air surrounding this sort of encounter. </p><p>	Just two classmates stopping at the convenience store. What could be more normal than that? Snagging a few bowls of instant ramen seemed a bit condemning, considering he was shopping for dinner but… He had to have something to tide him over until breakfast when he came home late from work. </p><p> 	Moving on, Grimmjow grabbed a few cans of chicken, and a half carton of eggs. He still had rice left over at home… Which pretty much concluded what Grimmjow had planned in terms of dinner for tonight. Sodium and carb heavy was pretty much the foundation of his diet, and the default choices for the two picky eaters waiting for him back home. </p><p>	“Do you have family waiting for you at home?” Ichigo iquired, spooking Grimmjow again as he’d nearly forgotten about the redhead’s presence. </p><p>	“Fuck-, yes! Alright? Stop sneakin’ up on me like that!” He scolded, rubbing at the back of his neck as he tried to wipe away the goosebumps. </p><p>	“Sorry, I forgot you were so jumpy.” Grimmjow could have snarled at Ichigo for that one. Did this kid have a death wish? It wasn’t often that he found himself biting his tongue for the sake of others. </p><p>	“Fuck off. I’ve just got two lousy homebodies waitin’ for me. They’ll complain if I don’t bring something home with me. Well, one of them more than the other.” Grimmjow scowled at the memory of Nel’s whining voice, and the unbearable way it ground on his ears. Some days, there really wasn’t enough room in that little apartment for the three of them. Ulquiorra never posed much of a problem until they actually needed to get somewhere on time. </p><p>	Grimmjow knew well enough that he wasn’t exactly a peach to deal with either, but he still felt the right to gripe about it all, being that he was still the one paying for rent at the end of the month. </p><p>	His thoughts were distracted again as he heard Ichigo laugh. It was a light little thing, easy on the ears and soothing on his nerves. At least somebody was getting a kick out of all this. Grimmjow slid his stuff onto the checkout counter, rummaging through his pockets for a wad of money that he had secured together with a rubber band. </p><p>	Checkout was as simple as ever, and the awkward duo was back to their afternoon stroll. </p><p>	“It must be nice to have someone waiting for you at home.” Ichigo smiled at the thought, though his eyes held a sort of sadness to them that Grimmjow couldn’t quite name. </p><p>	“I dunno about that.” Grimmjow spoke, trying to divert the conversation. Family was never a fin topic, and he wasn’t about to spill his guts to a guy he’s just met, no matter how pretty he was. What?</p><p>The silence weighed heavily as Grimmjow struggled to save the conversation. What else was there for them to talk about? It wasn’t like he was about to up and invite this guy to family dinner. It just wasn’t fair. What did Ichigo have to be so kind for? Everything was always so much easier when everyone minded their own damn business. Who cares if he couldn’t afford his textbooks, and why does it matter if he gets the notes from the first lecture of the semester? </p><p>Grimmjow scowled to himself as he watched the slabs of sidewalk disappear beneath his feet. Slowly but surely a pit of guilt started to settle in his stomach. There was no way that dinner would go over smoothly with a guest at the table. Nelliel can’t keep her mouth shut and Ulquiorra had enough antisocial disposition to clear out a room. Just the thought of trying to enjoy his meal in an environment like that was enough to strangle his appetite. </p><p>“I was just heading home to make somethin’ for dinner,” Grimmjow started, the hesitation clear in his voice. He grit his teeth, saving himself the trouble of looking over at his classmate. God, this was such an awful idea. “I’ve got a little extra tonight, if you wanna join us. S’ the least I can do, if you’ll keep lendin’ me your books.” He could feel the warmth of embarrassment flooding his cheeks, his eyebrows furrowing as he tried to will it away.</p><p>“I couldn’t possibly-.” Jaegerjaquez nearly winced at the words, turning to the redhead, his mouth puckered into a scowl.</p><p>“Shove it, Kurosaki. You’re coming. It isn’t an invitation anymore.” He insisted, his biting words sounding a bit out of place given their good intentions. “Don’t go complaining about favors. ‘Makes ya sound like a dickhead.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I literally haven't written a fic that wasn't 100% porn... ever. GOD. Anyways! I thought that this ship deserved a really funny, warm, and er... Sexy fic. The smut will come in time, but I'll change the rating when I get to it. Ichigo is 19, Grimmjow is 20. Feel free to message me @SkyShoujo on twitter, instagram or tumblr! I'm really excited to continue working on this fic :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Dinner, together.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Grimmjow introduces Ichigo to his family, and takes what he can in stride. Awkward conversations, light angst, and maybe a little surprise at the end.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you so much for coming back for chapter 2! I spent a lot of time figuring out what direction I wanted this chapter to take and I hope you all enjoy! I'm always accepting comments and suggestions as I'm currently building the plot as I go lol. Find my fanart for this fic on my twitter @SkyShoujos</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Shove it, Kurosaki. You’re coming. It isn’t an invitation anymore.” He insisted, his biting words sounding a bit out of place given their good intentions. “Don’t go complaining about favors. ‘Makes ya sound like a dickhead.” Grimmjow muttered, rummaging through his pockets as they approached his apartment complex. </p><p>It was easy to sense how hesitant Ichigo was as they scaled the first floor of the apartment, keeping himself a good two feet behind Grimmjow as they walked. If not that, Ichigo’s awkward fidgeting as he was unlocking the door was a dead giveaway. </p><p>Per usual, the apartment was silent when they both stepped inside. Grimmjow kicked off his shoes with ease before heading deeper into the two bedroom apartment, dropping the groceries onto the kitchen counter. </p><p> 	“Make yourself at home, Nel’s sleepin’ so try to keep it down.” He warned, as he washed his hands in the sink before shaking them dry. As much as Grimmjow wanted to ignore the visitor awkwardly standing in his doorway, it was hard to focus on getting dinner started when the guy was handling his new surroundings with as much grace as a fart in a church. </p><p> 	“If you wanna be useful, you can start with the chicken,” He gestured behind himself with his thumb, pointing to the bags on the counter. The redhead nodded as he slipped off his sneakers and dropped his school bag on the landing. Grimmjow let the tension fall from his shoulders as he retrieved the can opener and slid it across the countertop to Ichigo. </p><p>Rinsing the rice and starting up the cooker was enough to get Grimmjow back into his routine, and it seemed to relax the redhead as well. If it wasn’t for the awkward dance they were doing in the cramped kitchen, everything would have been going smooth as can be. If only Grimmjow could remember when Ichigo took the time to pull his hair back. Huh. He decided not to dwell on it too much. </p><p>Soon enough, the smell of soy sauce and chicken started to permeate the apartment. Though the other two dwellers of the small flat had yet to make themselves known. Grimmjow thought it was best to count his blessing while he could, but it seemed that Kurosaki was far more curious than he initially let on. Making sure all of the rice stayed in the pan as he cooked was enough of a challenge, let alone keeping up conversation. </p><p> “You do have roommates… Right?” Ichigo asked, sounding a bit hesitant as he leaned against the kitchen counter, the food prep he had been busying himself with long since over. Grimmjow tensed at the question, a furrow forming on his brow, only pulling a laugh from the redhead. “Don’t get so defensive, I’m gonna meet them here soon anyways.” He insisted, only pulling a sigh of annoyance from his blue haired classmate. </p><p>“They’re my siblings.” The answer seemed to be enough to satisfy Ichigo for a few moments. It was likely that he was musing something ridiculous. Akin to a set of blue haired siblings and whether or not they were as grouchy as their brother. </p><p>“...Is that all?” Kurosaki pressed on, his gaze flickering to the ceiling as he studied the slightly faded water stains. </p><p>“We’re adopted. M’ sister Nel works third shifts so she’s sleepin’ right now. Ulquiorra is probably in his room playing games or some shit. He’s not the most sociable dude.” Grimmjow explained as he tried to ease up a little on his defenses. Ichigo didn’t really seem like a threat. He was certainly a trusting one though. Wandering into a stranger’s house for dinner wasn’t exactly something that just anyone could do. </p><p>Kurosaki nodded as he listened, letting his eyes close as he relaxed. Grimmjow’s speech habits were a bit crude but there was definitely something charming about his laid back and vulgar vocabulary. At the very least it reminded him of his highschool attitude. </p><p>Grimmjow paused as he looked over at Kurosaki, quietly appreciating how the faint afternoon sunlight poured through the kitchen curtains and gently illuminated the locks of orange hair as they cascaded from Ichigo’s ponytail. Breathing a soft huff through his nose, he turned his attention back to the task at hand. Turning off the stove and retrieving four bowls from the cabinet before setting them down. </p><p>“I’m gonna go get em’.” He explained briefly before slipping out of the room. Getting Ulquiorra’s attention was easy enough as he prodded their bedroom door open, flicking the light on and off to distract the boy from the console in his hands. </p><p>“C’mon, dinner’s ready. We’ve got company.” The older brother gave a brief warning as the dark haired boy nodded, his gaze flickering back to the gameboy in his hands as he quickly updated his save. </p><p>That only left Nelliel, who always had a reputation for being a pain in the neck. Sliding her bedroom door open was easy enough, but stepping inside always proved to be a challenge. Navigating the bedroom floor without breaking a damn ankle was a difficult task in broad daylight, let alone when her curtains were drawn to block out the sun. </p><p>“Nel, Dinner.” He murmured, nudging his foot against the woman’s arm as she groaned and stirred in her sleep.<br/>
“Nelliel, we’ve got a guest waiting. C’mon.” He urged again as he navigated his way over to her bedroom window, pulling the curtains back and letting the light illuminate the small bedroom. </p><p>The teal haired woman whined as he rolled onto her stomach, drawing her knees up to her chest before sitting up from her bed. Drowsy as ever, she rubbed at her eyes as she tried to adjust to the drastic change in lighting. </p><p>“Geez Grimm… What’s got you in such a pushy mood, huh?” She asked, stretching her arms over her head with a long yawn. </p><p>“Get dressed and come to dinner. I’m done waiting.” He spoke shortly, rolling his eyes as the strap of Nel’s tank top slid down her shoulder. Grimmjow quickly exited the room, closing the door behind himself before letting out a sigh. At least Ulquiorra had made himself present at the dinner table. </p><p>Kurosaki seemed to have taken it upon himself to bring dinner to the table, along with the bowls he’d grabbed earlier. Though it seemed that Ulquiorra was a little less than receptive of Ichigo’s attempts at conversation. Didn’t he mention that earlier?</p><p>“So you’re Ulquiorra, right?” He inquired as he scooted up to the table and slid one of the bowls in the younger teen’s direction.<br/>
“...You’re probably around my little sisters age,” Ichigo commented, feeling a little discouraged by the blank stare he was getting. </p><p>“It’s Cifer,” He corrected, tone cold and flat as his nimble fingers centered the bowl before him. </p><p>“Oh, Alright…” Ichigo internally grimaced. He was on a serious losing streak in terms of familiarity. Well, that seemed to be enough for the cringe festival. It was almost painful to try to watch the two of them interact. More so for Ichigo as it took a little more than some stiff small talk to really put Ulquiorra out of place. Grimmjow took his spot at the table beside Ichigo, letting out a sigh as he got himself settled. </p><p>“Nel’s takin’ her sweet time getting up. Nothin’ out of the ordinary.” He explained briefly as he decided to get things started, serving Kurosaki a heaping spoonful of fried rice. As the oldest brother made his way around the table, evenly distributing the meal, the woman in question finally made her appearance. </p><p>“Good morning everyone,” She greeted lightly, tugging down the hem of her sweatshirt as she sat down. Pushing her bangs from her eyes as she eyed the guest sitting across from her. </p><p>Grimmow scoffed at the sentiment as he reached across the table to drop the bowl of steaming rice in front of her. With dinner evenly portioned, he took it upon himself to dig in first, paying no mind to the somewhat tense atmosphere. It wasn’t like he really expected anything different. </p><p>It wasn’t so much that Ichigo’s presence was unsettling to the family as much as it was seeing Grimmjow with an acquaintance of any sort. Let alone someone who seemed to be relatively well behaved. Kurosaki lifted his gaze from the warm bowl of food, allowing brown eyes to meet beige. </p><p>“So, are you two friends?” Nelliel started, resting her elbows on the table and lacing her fingers together. She smirked as the redhead struggled to come up with an answer. </p><p>“We’re classmates,” He explained, watching as the teal-haired woman seemed to nod in understanding. Her interest dissipated just as quickly as it materialized as she sat up from the table and promptly took her first mouthful of rice. A high-pitched hum of delight sounded from the woman as she slouched in her chair. </p><p>“Oh Grimm, you just keep getting better!” She praised through a mouthful of food, which only served to piss-off chef as he sat beside her. Ulquiorra had been eating his meal in absolute silence, his blank stare pointed out of the apartment window, his skin practically reflecting the afternoon rays. </p><p>“She is right though, this is delicious. It reminds me of Yuzu’s cooking.” Kurosaki smiled at that, earning a cheer of solidarity from the woman across from him. Grimmjow wasn’t quite sure who Yuzu was, but he figured that it was meant to be a compliment. Unlike Grimmjow however, Nelliel wasn’t quite akin to just letting her imagination stew. </p><p>“Who’s Yuzu?” She inquired, pausing her meal for a moment to sweep a few strands of long teal hair away from her face. Of course, it only revealed a few pieces of rice stuck to the corners of her mouth. </p><p>“She’s my little sister, she does all of the cooking back home.” He explained, a soft smile forming on his lips. At the very least, it was clear that Ichigo could hold a conversation about family when given the right motivation. </p><p>“Oh? She doesn’t live here in Tokyo?” Nel pressed, her interest peaking as she learned more about the redhead across from her. Even Ulquiorra had taken the time to spare Ichigo his gaze. </p><p>“She lives in Karakura with Karin and my father- oh, Karin is Yuzu’s twin.” He quickly corrected, becoming a little bashful. What? Did this guy really think he was oversharing with just that little but of information? Grimmjow couldn’t help but roll his eyes at the thought. Kurosaki caught a glimpse of the gesture, his expression immediately falling. </p><p>“Don’t go getting yourself in a twist. S’not like I told ya to shut your trap or anything.” The blue haired man huffed a little before continuing.<br/>
“Talk as much as ya like, it keeps sleepy over here from running her trap too much.” He gestured with his thumb at his sister, jutting out his lower lip as he cemented his annoyance. </p><p>“Sure thing,” Kurosaki smiled. Again. Jesus. Was there anything that this guy didn’t find endearing? Grimmjow wasn’t sure how he felt about that realization. In a way… It kinda made him sick to his stomach. Ew. </p><p>“My Dad runs a clinic back home and the three of us used to help out together. I’m getting my degree here in Tokyo so I can hopefully take over someday.” He explained, a new glaze of warmth coating his eyes. Ichigo paused for a moment to eat more of his meal, as he’d hate for such delicious food to go to waste. </p><p>“Karin and Yuzu are both fifteen now, and I helped out just fine when I was their age… But I still feel bad about needing to leave for so long. I almost tried doing online school but it’s always so busy around there that I probably wouldn’t have been able to focus very much.” The warmth in his eyes faded as he worried his lower lip between his teeth. </p><p>“It’s really quiet in my new apartment,” He added as he breathed out a defeated laugh. No shit he didn’t wanna go home yet. The kid was probably dying for some human interaction. So much so that he resorted to going to a stranger’s house for dinner. That thought made Grimmjow chuckle to himself, earning a quizzical look from Nelliel. </p><p>“Hm...I’m glad you decided to have dinner with us tonight,” Nelliel spoke, breaking the small bout of silence. Yeah, sure. Like we could afford to spare the extra serving. Though Grimmjow wasn’t one to talk, given that he was the one who invited Kurosaki in the first place. Ulquiorra stood from the table somewhat abruptly.</p><p>“Thank you for the meal…” Fucker? Aren’t you supposed to say that before you chow down? Ulquiorra sighed, collecting his empty bowl and chopsticks before heading to the kitchen to rinse them clean. So much for getting the kid to talk a little. All they really got outta him was an abrupt correction and a sudden farewell. Hmph. He did have the decency to rinse his dishes before retreating back to his den. </p><p>“I think he’s got the right idea,” Nelliel chimed in as she stood, raising her arms high above her head as she let out a yawn. The bun that she’d quickly wadded her mass of hair up into was quickly starting to fall apart.<br/>
“I’ve gotta get ready for work anyways…” She trailed off, seemingly falling into a drowsy daze. </p><p>“No ya don’t. Get a couple more hours of sleep before your shift. I’ll clean up the apartment later this week.” Grimmjow insisted as he grabbed the woman’s bowl and stacked it upon his own before heading back to the kitchen with Ichigo tailing close behind. </p><p>The taller student continued his evening per-usual as he started to draw the sink full of hot, soapy water. He wasn’t quite expecting the redhead to take it upon himself to dry the dishes as Grimmjow washed them. Even if it was entertaining to watch Ichigo try to navigate the kitchen cabinets in an attempt to make sure all of the dishes got put away in the right spots. </p><p>“Do you always try this hard?” Grimmjow murmured, his words barely making it over the soft sloshing of water and the persistent scrubbing. </p><p>“What do ya mean by that?” Ichigo’s awkward smile faltered a little.</p><p>“I mean, you act all chipper one minute and the next,” Grimmjow groaned. “You look so damn sad. It’s pitiful.” Sure, his words were somewhat harsh, but he wasn’t exactly one to mince words either. Kurosaki’s silence for once, didn’t come as a blessing. </p><p>Grimmjow set his jaw, steeling himself from apologizing. Even if that damned sad look was back on his dumb, freckled face. It was never his job to keep this fuckin’ kid happy, and he wasn’t about to start now. </p><p>“I’ll work on it.” There it was again. That smile. God. It was so flimsy.</p><p>“Don’t. If you’re sad, you should show it. ‘S the fake bullshit that’s getting on my nerves.” Well, that seemed to clear things up a little. Ichigo’s smile fell again, his lips pressing into  a thin line. </p><p>“Take your time,” He paused, trying to keep things from getting too sappy. “Do whatever makes you comfortable.” Grimmjow eased up a bit. Since when did he become such a wimp?</p><p>The taller man shook his hands dry before actually using the towel he should’ve used in the first place, a small scowl resting on his face. He watched quietly as Kurosaki finished putting away the rest of the dishes, his hand nervously running through his hair. </p><p>“I gotta get ready for work. S’ been nice, but I’ll have ‘ta send you home.” Grimmjow pulled on a somewhat amused smile. “Unless you wanna hang out here while the goblin hides away in his room until the next time he’s gotta take a piss.” He barked out a short laugh. </p><p>“Yeah… thanks but no thanks.” Ichigo declined, a ghost of a smile pulling at his lips. Well at least the kid knew a joke when he heard one. Kurosaki turned to head back to the landing of the apartment, leaning down to slide his sneakers back on, not bothering to re-tie them onto his feet. </p><p>“I guess I wouldn’t mind if we did this again. Nelliel likes ya, and Ulquiorra actually cared enough to correct you, which is high marks for a newcomer.” He commented, gritting his teeth a little as he could feel the beginnings of a blush start to form on his cheeks. </p><p>“I don’t like thinking about you sitting in that apartment all alone. Just shoot me a text if you need somewhere else to be.” He glanced away as Kurosaki slipped on his backpack, pausing as he looked back towards the door. The redhead must have been thinking awfully hard, as Grimmjow could nearly see the steam billowing from his ears. </p><p>That look of determination that formed in Kurosaki’s eyes was completely new. In fact, it was stunning. Enough so that Grimmjow didn’t have a moment to process when he had even started moving closer. One moment he had a perfectly respectable amount of personal space and the next… Everything was Ichigo. </p><p>Secure arms wrapping around his shoulders and a soft exhale against his neck. Long strands of orange hair tickling his cheek… and the warm scent of orange oil and worn wood. It wasn’t something he particularly expected, but it was welcome all the same. </p><p>“Thank you,” The words were murmured, but heard all the same. Between the sudden intake of information and the fleeting moment, Grimmjow hadn’t even thought to hug the man back. Way too close.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hehe... It's really fun to plan out their development as people lol. Grimmjow and Ichigo just handle themselves SO differently</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Laundry and Lunchtime</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Grimmjow sends his first text. Ichigo makes the first call. Ulquiorra speaks. Grimmjow says way too much.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Kurosaki hightailed his way out the door, leaving Grimmjow completely stunned and at a loss for words. Well, someone was gonna be an antsy jackass at work tonight.</p><p>Grimmjow took a moment to escape from his thoughts, whipping around, suddenly finding himself in a mad rush to get out of the kitchen. After all, his shift started soon and- fuck.</p><p>Ah, that smirk meant nothing but trouble. Nelliel hummed to herself in amusement, her hand partially obscuring the somewhat sinister smirk that had scrawled onto her face. </p><p>“Just classmates, huh?” She laughed, resting her weight against the doorway.<br/>
“Looks like Grimm’s finally made himself a little friend.” Nel teased, watching in amusement as her younger brother tried to conjure up something to say. </p><p>“Fuck off, S’ none of your business anyways.” He insisted as he pushed past the woman and promptly retreated to his and Ulquiorra’s bedroom. </p><p>Closing the door behind himself, Grimmjow let out a sigh. Using the heel of his palm to push against his left eye socket, he tried to get his brain out of a flurry of thoughts. Just what the hell was Kurosaki thinking? It was bad enough that he managed to get under his skin after one encounter, but he’d never had the urge to warm up to someone so quickly. It was fuckin bizarre. </p><p>Ulquiorra spared a glance away from his game before deciding to ignore his brother’s odd behavior. Whatever, it wasn’t his business anyways. </p><p>Taking his younger brother’s silence as a blessing, Grimmjow continued with his evening routine. Quickly pulling on his work uniform and freshening up his hair with a bit of dry shampoo, he seemed to be satisfied enough for his evening shift. </p><p>The rest of Grimmjow’s night went by smoothly enough. The diner he worked at was manageably busy for a Wednesday night, leaving him with a little more free time during his shift than most days. When he did get to have his break… somewhere in the ballpark of 10:00-10:30, he decided to shoot Ichigo a text. </p><p>Unsurprisingly, Grimmjow spent about half of his lunch break mulling over what he should say. It had to be casual enough, but not too friendly. It had to evoke conversation, but he didn’t wanna come off as chatty. He paused for a moment, setting down his phone with a scowl. Why did he care so much about what the redheaded brat thought of him anyways?! Grimmjow’s frustration with himself had reached a new level. If making friends was always gonna be this much of a pain in the ass, he wasn’t gonna bother with it again if he could help it. </p><p>GRIMMJOW: Hey. </p><p>Ah yes, the embodiment of everything he hoped his first text would be. Grimmjow closed the app with a defeated groan, slouching back in his chair as he stared at the break room ceiling. *bzzt* *bzzt*<br/>
Grimmjow just about scrambled to unlock his phone, only to feel a wave of disappointment wash over him.</p><p>NEL: I’m going to do some laundry on my way home from work tomorrow, so I grabbed what I could of yours and Ulquiorra’s dirty clothes.<br/>
NEL: LMK if there’s anything else you need washed before I leave.<br/>
NEL: Omg! I’ve never seen you read a text so fast. Lolol, waiting for something?<br/>
GRIMMJOW: I’m on break, dumbass.<br/>
NEL: Mhm, OK. Have a good night!</p><p>With that, Grimmjow locked his phone, sliding it back into his pocket. What was her big deal anyways? Grimmjow could make friends! He’s had friends before! Sure, they just wrestled and rough-housed at every opportunity but… what else are middle schoolers supposed to do?! Geez! He knew how to make friends! What didn’t Nelliel understand about that?</p><p>The rest of Grimmjow’s shift went by at a breakneck pace. Between cranky customers coming in 15 minutes before close, and the time it took to clean up shop afterwards, it was safe to say that he didn’t get out of work on time. With a massive bag of stale bread in one hand, and his work backpack in the other, Grimmjow began his commute home. </p><p>By the time he secured a seat on the train, he was just about ready to pass out for the night. Even in his drowsy daze, he paused to check his text messages. </p><p>UNKNOWN: Hey! Here’s the notes from earlier.<br/>
UNKNOWN: IMG._1<br/>
UNKNOWN: IMG._2</p><p>Grimmjow took a moment to program Ichigo’s contact into his phone. </p><p>GRIMMJOW: Thanks.<br/>
KUROSAKI: Np!</p><p>He frowned, a little unsettled by the response time.</p><p>GRIMMJOW: Shouldn’t you be asleep?<br/>
KUROSAKI: I could say the same to you.<br/>
GRIMMJOW: I just got off work. Try again.<br/>
KUROSAKI: Touché. Can’t sleep.<br/>
GRIMMJOW: ?<br/>
KUROSAKI: I can’t get my brain to turn off, lol. I’m working on some stuff around the apartment instead.<br/>
GRIMMJOW: oh. Try taking melatonin.<br/>
KUROSAKI: Nah, makes me drowsy the next day. I’ll be fine. Thanks tho.<br/>
GRIMMJOW: K. Take it easy.</p><p>With that, he closed the app. As much as he wanted to sleep on the train ride home, he took the caution of setting an alarm before promptly passing out. Sleeping through his stop wasn’t exactly on his to-do list for the night. </p><p>By the time he made it to the landing of his apartment, Grimmjow’s legs felt heavier than lead. He groaned, leaning his weight against the wall as he slipped his shoes off, dropping his bag right where he stood. On his way through the kitchen, he deposited the bag of bread on the counter. Grimmjow paused for a moment as he observed his moon-lit living room, smirking a little to himself as he noticed Ulquiorra passed out on the couch, GameBoy still in his hands. </p><p>Figures, he was probably enjoying havin’ the house to himself. Grimmjow snagged a blanket before carefully draping it over the teen, taking the console from his hands and setting it on the coffee table. As much as the brat’s attitude annoyed the shit out of him at times, he was still glad that the kid decided to make the move with them. It really was for the best. </p><p>It had to be. </p><p>Grimmjow headed to his bedroom, stripping off his work uniform and crawling into bed, groaning a little as his bare legs hit the cool fabric. His discomfort did little to ward off the drowsiness that hit Grimm like a truck as he fell asleep, head buried under his pillow. </p><p>A sharp snarl tore through Grimmjow’s throat as he snagged his phone from his nightstand, opening bleary eyes in an attempt to shut off the shrill alarm. </p><p>Once he sat up out of bed, he let his face settle into a frown, blankly staring at the wall ahead. What day was it again? He tried to recall what the prior day’s events held. Thursday. He swung his legs over the side of the bed, looking down at the floor. He didn’t have to be on campus again until evening… Which meant he could keep his promise to Nel. </p><p>Grimmjow stood up, stretching his arms high over his head, a long yawn seeping from his chest. Getting up and around wasn’t much of a conundrum, as far as he was concerned he could relax and take his time. His muscle soreness from last night was his first priority however, and was quickly remedied by a burning hot shower. A pair of sweatpants was more than enough attire if he was gonna be home cleaning house for most of the day anyways. </p><p>The only thing he really had to worry about was keeping quiet so he wouldn’t wake Nel. Once he got breakfast ready, he set aside a portion for her, wrapping it up and setting it in the fridge. Ulquiorra woke up without any complaints and devoured his meal without another word. </p><p>It’s not like Grimmjow expected gratitude from the kid. He agreed to take care of him, after all. Cleaning up the mess from breakfast was a breeze, and soon enough Grimmjow was sat on the living room floor, folding clothes as he watched TV. That is, until his phone started to ring. </p><p>“Hello?” He spoke into the receiver, the phone propped between his cheek and shoulder. </p><p>“Oh good, you’re up.” Grimmjow’s eyebrows furrowed together in a sense of twisted amusement. Maybe he should’ve taken a moment to look at the caller ID. </p><p>“What’s it to you?” He replied, smirking a little to himself. What would Kurosaki want from him at this hour?</p><p>“Can I come over?” Grimmjow must have been silent for a beat too long because Kurosaki seemed to take it as hesitation. </p><p>“It’s just quiet over here.” Grimmjow couldn’t help but chuckle at that. </p><p>“I told ya to shoot me a text, but I guess this works too. Sure. I’m cleaning around the house today.” He explained, which seemed to be more than enough for Ichigo. </p><p>“Okay! I’ll be there soon.” He opened his mouth to give his own farewell, but by the time he came up with something to say the call had already dropped. Grimmjow decided not to dwell on it too much. Clearly the redhead was more excited than he cared to let on.<br/>
With that, he dropped his phone back onto the living room floor, guiding his attention back to the t-shirt in his lap. Whatever anime he had running on in the background was enough to keep him just stimulated enough to focus on actually getting all of the laundry folded. </p><p>Grimmjow frowned to himself as he realized the one major consequence of having company over. He had to fucking entertain them, or at the very least give them something to do for the duration of their stay. As easy as it would be to put the redhead to work (and he doubted that Ichigo would ever turn him down), he still felt a little awkward about it. After all, they had only really started talking the day before, if you could even call it that at this point. Then again, if Ichigo didn’t like it, he could go back home. It wasn’t like Grimmjow was obligated to be a good host anyways. </p><p>Ulquiorra breathed out a light sigh as a burst of laughter came from the TV. At least he was entertained. Grimmjow did consider for a moment to warn his brother about the company that was on the way but… He was here for the whole conversation… He could piece things together on his own. Plus, the last thing he really wanted to do right now was start the beginning of a dead-end conversation. </p><p>The sharp knock on the door was enough to startle Grimmjow from his thoughts. Geez, did he live close or something? Or did he run? Either way, he was still pulling himself up from the floor with a short grunt, using the coffee table as support until he fully caught his balance. The younger brother watched silently, observing Grimmjow as he walked away. </p><p>Grimmjow made it all the way to the door before he realized that he was still in his sweatpants. Fresh out of the shower. Shit. He reached down to snag his work backpack from the night before, yanking out a sweatshirt and quickly pulling it over his shoulders. After all, it didn’t feel quite appropriate to put that much skin on display. Yet.  He jerked the door open in a rush, standing there awkwardly as he processed the sight before him.</p><p>It didn’t come as a shock that it was Ichigo of course, though it was more important to note that his classmate had decided to show up in something a little more erm… fashionable? It seemed like Ichigo had a preference for clothing that fit like a second skin, which wasn’t surprising to Grimmjow… Somehow. </p><p>Not to gawk or anything, but there was a new sense of confidence emanating from Kurosaki today. It was almost maddening how well a simple white tank top could compliment freckled skin, Between that and the large rips in black skinny jeans, Grimmjow wasn’t quite sure where he should look. </p><p>“Hey uh… Can I come in?” Kurosaki asked, an amused smile curling the edges of his lips. Clearly, peeking out from behind his front door and silently staring wasn’t a textbook example of “subtle.” </p><p>Grimmjow’s eyes widened a little as he quickly nodded, pulling the door open and scooting to the edge of the hallway, making room for his guest to come inside. For a moment it felt like his mouth had run completely dry. How the fuck was he supposed to have a single coherent thought when this asshole thought it was okay to show this much skin before 10am?!</p><p>“C’mon in, I was just folding the laundry that Nel did last night.” He explained, turning on his heel to head to the living room, earning another curious glance from Ulquiorra as he sat back down among the small pile of clothing. Perhaps it was the flush of scarlet searing across his cheekbones that gave him away. It was often a sight to behold when something managed to fluster the blue-haired man.<br/>
Kurosaki stood awkwardly in the doorway for a moment before settling on the couch beside Ulquiorra. As if this wasn’t a brave enough decision on it’s own, he tried to start a conversation.<br/>
“Oh! I’ve seen Yuzu and Karin watch this show before!” Ichigo gaped at the screen in a bit of awe.<br/>
“I can’t believe it’s still airing.” He added, earning a glare from Ulquiorra.</p><p>“That makes one of us.” He spoke curtly, pressing his lips into a firm line, almost as if he was refraining from saying anything more. </p><p>	“Oh, my bad.” Kurosaki gave a forced laugh. “I just meant that anime usually don’t run for this long.” Ichigo tried to correct. God, he could feel a wave of second hand embarrassment as the conversation continued to unfold. </p><p>“The story has hardly begun.” Ulquiorra shot back, clearly unimpressed by Kurosaki’s attempts at finding some sort of a common interest.<br/>
“You would know that if you paid attention.” </p><p>Even though his words were clearly laced with resentment, Grimmjow couldn’t help but feel a bit inferior from Ichigo’s utter success of getting his kid brother to actually engage in conversation. Perhaps it was a bit cruel to chalk it up to a lack of trying, but with a temperament like his, the last thing he wanted to do was start a one-way shouting match in a thin-walled apartment complex. </p><p>	Ichigo gave a somewhat hurt laugh as he tried to remind himself that he kinda did sign up for this kind of treatment, if his attempts from the day before were anything to go by. Apparently, this kid was gonna be a tough nut to crack. </p><p>	“It takes an appreciative eye for storytelling to enjoy a series with several arcs,” He added, practically leaving Grimmjow to pick his jaw up from the floor. Seriously? All it took was anime to get this little fuck to talk? If only Nel could hear Ulquiorra yammering on in the presence of a mere acquaintance. </p><p>“I see…” It was clear that Kurosaki was trying to take an escape route out of the conversation while he still could, but it seemed that the teen had other plans in mind. </p><p>“You can’t just watch bleach and immediately come to the conclusion that the soul society is supposed to be heaven.” Ah, he was already too late. </p><p>As much as he felt bad for Ichigo, it was an opportunity that Grimmjow really couldn’t pass up. Finally he had managed to keep his company occupied without asking him to partake in his daily chores. With Ulquiorra talking Kurosaki’s ear off, Grimmjow could fold laundry in peace. Though he’ll be damned before admitting that he missed hearing Ulquiorra talk this much. </p><p>By the time that Grimmjow finished folding laundry, he decided it was an ample opportunity to free Ichigo from Ulquiorra’s tangent. </p><p>“Here.” He placed a large stack of clothing into his younger brother’s lap, earning a sharp green glare. </p><p>“Put it away. Kurosaki and I are gonna start lunch.” He explained, trying to put up a somewhat cool front for his guest. Even if it was a matter of basic housekeeping. Grimmjow gestured for the redhead to follow as he continued his way into the kitchen, turning on the hood range light. </p><p>“It didn’t take you very long to get here earlier.” He commented, sparing a glance in the other’s direction, making a conscious effort to avoid staring for too long. </p><p>“I only live a few blocks away. It’s close to the college.” Ichigo explained, even if it was obvious that both of them took the location of their university into account when choosing their apartments.<br/>
“...Do you have classes today?” He continued, his gaze drifting downwards just as Grimmjow began to look away. </p><p>“Yeah, not until evening though.” That news seemed to disappoint his guest a little. Didn’t this kid have friends to hang out with? He frowned a little to himself at that thought. It’s not like having friends was exactly the norm for Grimmjow either. So, he really couldn’t blame him.<br/>
“Did you end up catching any sleep last night?” He asked instead, steering the conversation in another direction. </p><p>“Not really.” Ichigo replied halfheartedly. If Grimmjow had to guess, that probably meant that he didn’t sleep at all. </p><p>“Do you want coffee or anything?” He offered instead, as he really didn’t want the redhead to crash on him. With how weak his constitution has been lately, Grimmjow would sooner lay the redhead down for bed before waking him back up. </p><p>“I’m not much of a coffee drinker but... thanks anyways.” He declined, walking over to the kitchen counter, leaning his back against it much like he had done the day before. </p><p>“I’m making sandwiches. S’ there anything you don’t eat?” Grimmjow asked as he began to cut off thick slices of stale bread. Once it was toasted however, it shouldn’t be too noticeable. </p><p>“Nah, nothing that you’d put on a sandwich.” Kurosaki mused to himself before an odd smirk appeared on his lips.<br/>
“Unless you’re puttin’ watermelon on a sandwich.” He gave a light laugh, which only puzzled Grimmjow.</p><p>	“Who the fuck puts watermelon on sandwiches?” He inquired, a slight jab of annoyance in his tone.<br/>
“Nobody, I just don’t like watermelon.” Well, it seemed that Kusoaki didn’t have a sense of taste.<br/>
“You’re outta your fuckin’ mind. Nothing beats a cold slice of watermelon. I dont give a fuck what season it is.” Grimmjow snapped back, only earning another laugh from Ichigo.<br/>
“Yeah yeah, I’ll agree to disagree.” Grimmjow scoffed at that, setting his jaw as he allowed the conversation to come to an end. For now. </p><p>	Before Jaegerjaquez could prevent it, a long moment of silence began to stretch between them. He always hated them, no matter who he was talking to. Silence meant that they were both thinking. Usually these bouts of silence led to conversations with actual substance, which he would rather avoid. Trying to open up to someone new always made Grimmjow absolutely sick to his stomach. </p><p>	“Jaegerjaquez, thanks for letting me come over today. It means a lot.” Grimmjow pressed his lips together, his eyebrows furrowing. Just what the hell was he supposed to say to that? Letting the redhead hang out at his house was by no means a serious hassle to begin with, but at least the guy wasn’t apologizing to him for being a nuisance.<br/>
“S’ not a big deal. I get it.” He replied, trying to snuff out this subject while he still could. “We all get bored sometimes.”</p><p> “Yeah…” As shut down as the redhead sounded, Grimmjow decided to count his blessings while he could. Being emotionally intimate was a difficult task for someone as emotionally constipated as he was. The last thing he wanted to do was try to open up and have it blow up in his face. Even more so if it was with someone as new to his life as Ichigo. Hell, he even had trouble talking to Nel about serious stuff at times and their trauma is shared.</p><p>“...Do you have the textbooks for any of your classes?” Ah, another conversation that he didn’t want to have.<br/>
“No, I can’t afford them. It’s fuckin’ highway robbery.” Grimmjow replied as he took a few slices of cold lunch meat and threw them into a frying pan, watching as they shriveled above the heat.<br/>
“What? Can’t you apply for financial aid? I’m sure you could get some support?” Kurosaki asked, his voice thick with concern as he turned to look at the other man whose gaze was still fixated on the stove.<br/>
“I can’t.”<br/>
“Why not? We can get your paperwork together and I’ll help you-.” Grimmjow turned to the redhead, a scowl marring his face.<br/>
“It’s none of your fuckin business!”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I'm having so much fun with this hehehe &lt;3 tysm for the comments and kudos! They keep me motivated so keep em' coming!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Washin' it off</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Note the rating change! Grimmjow goes a little bonkers.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Why not? We can get your paperwork together and I’ll help you-.” Grimmjow turned to the redhead, a scowl marring his face.</p>
<p>	“It’s none of your fuckin business!” He snarled, his hands fisted at his sides. He could feel his teeth ache in his jaw and the tension in his pupils as they started to shift in shape. He needed to calm down. This wasn’t a big deal. There’s no way that Ichigo would know about his situation. Grimmjow bit his lip, turning back to the stove as he could hear his heart hammering in his ears. </p>
<p>	He could feel the weight of Ichigo’s gaze on him. It was so easy to imagine what he looked like as he stood beside him. Eyes blown wide, a twisted expression of hurt and confusion. It’s one he’s seen several times before. Grimmjow heaved another breath into his lungs, feeling the sharp points of his canines digging into his lower lip. Fuck fuck fuck.</p>
<p>Rather than doing anything rational, Grimmjow decided to completely ignore his outburst all together. He hardly had the stability to really address his temper right now. He spared a glance over at Kurosaki, still expecting a look laced with fear and disappointment. </p>
<p>Instead he was met with the warmth of cinnamon, framed by concerned eyes. It was unsettling to say the least, and frankly Grimmjow wasn’t sure how he should respond. For once he was actually being met with kindness in the face of everything he’d always feared. It made Grimmjow’s stomach twist in knots, a firm pout forming on his lips. What the fuck was he supposed to do with himself now?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Stop lookin’ at me like that.” He muttered, feeling another rush of warmth flood his face. Jesus fuck, he’d never felt his emotions take such a tailspin before. His eyebrow twitched a little as he heard a soft laugh from the redhead beside him.<br/>	“Sorry, I just thought I might’ve seriously pissed you off or somethin’. I’ll be a little more careful now though.” Kurosaki replied, looking clearly quite relieved. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Grimmjow quickly looked away from the freckled moron to the right of him, and instead to the nearly burnt meat that was still sizzling away in the pan. It was a good enough distraction for the time being. Though his nerves weren’t waning any as his stomach lilted with each little laugh and smile he could ease out of Ichigo as they continued to talk. </p>
<p>	After getting over that bump in the road, hanging out with Kurosaki started to feel more like second nature than a self-obligated chore. It wasn’t so much about keeping the redhead occupied and entertained as much it was about having fun. God. Grimmjow couldn’t remember the last time that he really enjoyed himself like this.</p>
<p>	Eating lunch with Ulquiorra and Ichigo was far less tense than the meal from the night before. His younger brother actually seemed to pay attention to their conversation and his gaze was less distant than usual. Grimmjow hated to admit it even to himself, but he was starting to feel glad that he’d met the redhead. He just hoped that the revelation was mutual. </p>
<p>	Hell, he was almost reluctant to mention how late it had gotten. As much as he wanted to skip class and spend the rest of his evening with Ichigo, they were still in the first month of classes, and he really didn’t want to miss out on anything important. It wasn’t until they were both leaving his apartment building that Grimmjow became bold for what time they had left.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“This weekend… Can I come to your place instead?” He asked abruptly, stopping Ichigo out front of his apartment building, right where their paths began to diverge. <br/>	“Sure, I don’t have anything planned this weekend.” Ichigo smiled again. Grimmjow felt his mouth go dry for the second time that day, watching in a sense of awe as the warm rays of sunset illuminated the fields of freckles that bloomed across the redhead’s skin. </p>
<p>“Cool… I’ll text you later.” He decided shortly, quickly trying to derail his thoughts as they wandered off to the upcoming weekend. Even as he hurried down the sidewalk towards the university, the implications of being alone in an apartment together wouldn’t stray from his mind. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>	It would be a lie to say that Grimmjow didn’t try to wish the entire evening away. As far as he was concerned, every word of the lecture flew in one ear and out the other, even if the professor was intimidating as all fuck. Anatomy and physiology wasn’t a class that Grimmjow would have taken by choice (as his gen-ed’s required it). But he was confident that professor Unohana would strike enough fear into him to motivate him into finishing his assignments. Even so, the blue haired man was one of the first students to high tail it out of class and rush home for the night. </p>
<p>	As antsy as he was, Grimmjow figured that a hot shower might be the best way to unwind and prepare for bed. He’d had enough of Ulquiorra’s deep seated glares after a restless night becuase his damn older brother couldn’t figure out how to shut the fuck up and fall asleep. </p>
<p>	Grimmjow stepped into the bathroom, starting up the hot water and the vent before he started to peel off his school clothes. He paused for a moment, staring in the mirror as it started to fog with steam. The dark mauve and pink scar that circled around his bicep was still as clear as can be. Old scar tissue still showed the remains of torn skin, only leaving him to frown at the sight. </p>
<p>	He turned away, flinging off his boxers and breathing a sigh of relief as he silently rejoiced in his newfound freedom. He’d never been the biggest fan of clothes to begin with. Grimmjow stepped into the shower, a slow sigh of relief seeping between his lips as the hot water cascaded over his body. Tilting his head back, he let the water soak its way down to his scalp, coaxing a light groan from his chest. There really was nothing quite like a hot shower after a long day.</p>
<p>	Grimmjow pursed his lips in thought, ghosting his fingers over the jut of his hip, sliding his way down and thumbing at the base of his cock. Surely this was a good time as any for a little fun… right?</p>
<p>	He shrugged to himself, taking his dick into his palm. Working his way down to the head, he gently pulled back his foreskin, sucking in a sharp breath as the warm water lubricated his thumb. Drawing his lower lip between his teeth, Grimmjow tried to let his imagination do as it pleased. Lightly teasing the slit of his cock only managed to draw an airy groan from his throat. </p>
<p>	As much as he didn’t want to acknowledge it, his libido had taken a rather peculiar interest in redheads as of late. His hand quickly recoiled as he felt his cock twitch in his palm. No fuckin’ way. Grimmjow would have to be blind and an idiot to not see that Ichigo was attractive… but to jack off to him? This soon?</p>
<p>	He tried to come up with some sort of moral high ground, but his arousal-clogged brain really couldn’t come up with anything that had any substance. The moment that he decided that “whatever Ichigo doesn’t know, won’t hurt him” crossed his mind, Grimmjow should’ve known that he’d opened the floodgates.</p>
<p>	The movement of his hand started out slow and steady as he tried to come up with the basis of a fantasy. God, his lips were so pretty. With the number of times he’d caught himself staring at the redhead, he’d come to appreciate a certain freckle that sat on his plump lower lip. A shaky exhale left Grimmjow’s throat as he teased the swollen head of his cock. </p>
<p>	Not only that, but Ichigo’s hair was quite the sight to behold. It was so damn long. It looked silky as hell too. Grimmjow wished that he had the damn balls to ask if he could touch it. Just the thought of threading his fingers into Kurosaki’s hair, letting his fingers gently scratch at his scalp. Feeling those soft lips against the head of his cock felt like a dream that existed in a reality that was criminally far from his own. </p>
<p>	Grimmjow’s fist quickly jerked the head of his cock, just teasing the tip as it slipped in and out of his fist. A sharp growl rolled from his chest as deep cinnamon eyes locked with his own. Smoldering with lust and a small lilt of satisfaction… Grimmjow could almost see himself brushing Ichigo’s bangs away from his eyes. He was so fucking gorgeous. It was downright maddening. </p>
<p>	By now, Grimmjow’s once relaxed posture had started to curl in on itself, his fist pumping in deep strokes as he imagined those freckled lips meeting the base of his cock. A choked gasp slipped from Grimmjow’s lips as precum leaked from the tip. A flicker of eyelashes fluttering against tanned cheeks nearly brought him to his knees. </p>
<p>	An open, waiting mouth was enough to push him over the edge with a strangled groan, his chest heaving as long ropes of cum splattered against the shower tiles. His hand continued to work his cock, earning more muffled groans and globs of spunk as it dribbled over his knuckles. </p>
<p>	The blush on his face was positively searing, though it certainly wasn’t quelled as the steaming water continued to pour over his naked form. A wave of embarrassment struck Grimmjow as he started to come down from his high. How the fuck was he supposed to look Kurosaki in the eyes after this? </p>
<p>	Grimmjow was positively overwhelmed by that thought as he finished washing up, taking special care to make sure that no remains of his prior activities could be inquired from the shower floor. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>	Though he would hate to adimit it, Grimmjow slept like a fucking baby that night. Or rather, like the dead. According to Ulquiorra, he had to shut his brother’s alarm off himself because the blue haired man was so knocked out that he couldn’t hear it. Once Grimmjow did wake up, he was pleased to remember that there was only a handful of hours between himself and Ichigo’s apartment. He rolled over and snatched his phone from the nightstand.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>	GRIMMJOW: Mornin. What time are you free today?<br/>	KUROSAKI: Good afternoon! Glad you could make it, lol.<br/>	KUROSAKI: I’m in class right now. I’ll be home around 3.<br/>GRIMMJOW: Class ran late last night. Slept in.<br/>(That was a lie).</p>
<p>	GRIMMJOW: Text me your address when you get outta class &amp; I’ll head over.<br/>	KUROSAKI: K. Try something other than sweats this time, lol. </p>
<p>That last text made Grimmjow’s cheeks sear with red. Did he really pay that much attention to his clothes? Sure, Grimmjow knew how to dress himself just as well as the next guy, but he’d never thought to actually put in the effort before. </p>
<p>	He glanced at the clock on his phone. Cool, he had two and a half hours to figure this shit out. Grimmjow rolled out of bed with a groan. The state of his hair left quite a bit to be desired. Christ, a peacock would probably try to mate with the nest of blue he was currently calling his hair. </p>
<p>	Either way, he paid no mind to it for now as he wandered his way out to the living room. Friday was the one day of the week when everyone was home. At least Nelliel was getting a laugh from Grimmjow’s current hairdo. He simply gave a tired roll of his eyes, going onward to the kitchen in search of some breakfast. Hell, it was fuckin’ lunch at this point. </p>
<p>	Once his stomach was full, Grimmjow could finally conjure a put together thought. At some point in the process he’d decided that he actually wanted to look good today. It’d been years since Grimmjow had taken the time to actually put any extra effort into his appearance and honestly he was a little excited about it. </p>
<p>	After a good half hour of mulling over it, he finally decided on his outfit. A tight fitting black tank top tucked into a pair of jeans that were so torn that they were only a few inches of fabric away from being shorts, and a black leather belt to hold them up. As much as he liked how good the black material looked as it hugged his torso, Grimmjow was a little nervous about the glaring scar on his left arm… He really didn’t wanna have to explain that one today. </p>
<p>	He tried to ignore it for the time being, securing a thick stainless steel chain around his neck. Grimmjow flinched as the cold metal rested against his collarbones. Well, it certainly added to the look. A satisfied smile curled its way onto his lips as he gazed at himself in the mirror, though this quickly faltered again as his eyes drifted over that damned scar. God, it was annoying as all hell. </p>
<p>	Taming his hair was another story entirely. The other half of his first hour was spent trying to comb and position every wacked out piece into place. Of course with a few tasteful strands hanging down over his forehead. It was a signature at this point and he’ll be damned before he goes without. </p>
<p>	Nelliel damn near squealed when she laid her eyes on him. Grimmjow grit his teeth in annoyance, rolling his eyes as the woman walked up to him, looking her brother up and down in amusement.</p>
<p>	“What’s the getup for? Your little classmate?” She asked, a lilt of mirth coating her voice. </p>
<p>	“My little Grimm dressing to impress? I thought I’d never see the day.” Nel fake swooned, the same sly smile sticking to her lips.</p>
<p>	“I know just the thing to really put the icing on the cake for ya. You’ll have to ask me nicely though.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>	Why Grimmjow agreed, he didn’t have a damn clue. All he really knew was that he didn’t want a single brush anywhere near his eyes ever again.</p>
<p>	“Aww Grimm, your little eye markings are gonna be so pretty with his.” Nelliel gushed happily, coaxing Grimmjow to keep his eye open as she applied mascara to his lower lashes.</p>
<p>	“Now don’t blink too hard, you’ll get it all over your face.” She warned before stepping back and admiring over her handiwork. Nel knew well enough that Grimmjow had angular eyes to begin with, but a thin winged eyeliner was absolutely stunning. Not to mention that the length and volume to his eyelashes was absolutely criminal. </p>
<p>	“My eyelids feel heavy.” Grimmjow grumbled, already itching to pull the gunk out of his eyelashes himself.</p>
<p>          Nelliel couldn’t help but chuckle at that, watching in amusement as her younger brother carefully navigated his blinking as to not get flecks of mascara on his skin. She did ponder for a moment if the makeup was a little too much. But then again, Nel hadn’t seen Grimmjow care this much about anything that wasn’t school or work. It warmed her heart, to say the least.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Unfortunately for Grimmjow, he managed to get ready with just enough time to actually pack and prepare himself. At least, he wasn’t planning on spending the night or anything. Though what he was betting on would be an opportunity to study with the assistance of  the textbooks he currently lacked. Who was to say that a pair of pajamas and a toothbrush didn’t find its way inside as he slipped his notebook and pencils into his bag. </p>
<p>Grimmjow decided against bringing any food with him. If Ichigo really didn’t have food at home, he wouldn’t mind spotting the guy for some takeout. Glancing at his watch for the nth time that afternoon, he finally took a last gander at himself in the bathroom mirror.</p>
<p>This was normal… right? Going over to a friend’s house for the afternoon was an appropriate time to get dressed up, even more so if it was by said friend’s request… yeah? He set his jaw again, as he tried to quell the odd sense of giddiness that had made itself at home in his stomach. </p>
<p>	Heading to the landing of his apartment earned a few well wishes from his siblings. He shrugged them off in a small fit of annoyance as he laced up his black combat boots, his back straightening as he relished in the extra inch of height. He couldn’t wait to see the look on Kurosaki’s face. The thought alone left a smirk on Grimmjow’s face as he slung his backpack over his shoulder and headed out the front door. </p>
<p>GRIMMJOW: I’m omw. Can you send me your address?<br/>KUROSAKI: Sure! I’m almost home, I think I’m gonna beat you there lol<br/>KUROSAKI: 304 S 33rd St Apt 11</p>
<p> </p>
<p>	Thanks to the blessing that was google maps, Grimmjow made it to his destination without any real issues. He stood before the door of Ichigo’s apartment, fingers fidgeting with the strap of his backpack. Apprehensively, he brought his hand up to the door, giving it a few solid knocks. He startled slightly at the muffled voice, quickly followed by several footsteps.</p>
<p>	“Hey!” The warm smile that waited on Ichigo’s lips was enough to ease Grimmjow’s worry, though the hesitation of those eyes as they dragged up his body only left the taller man feeling warm. Burning, actually.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. A war between friends</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Just two homies... vibing... like homies do...</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Sorry for the huge gap between updates! My workplace has been crazy busy lately and I haven't had the motivation to write. Horrah for 14K words! For context, my next largest fic is 2.5k words. Anyways! I hope you're all enjoying the story so far, feel free to leave feedback, questions and suggestions in the comments!! :3 I love reading what y'all have to say!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Grimmjow opened his mouth to speak, his mind drawing a blank before the redhead spoke up again.</p><p> </p><p>	“Come inside!” Ichigo was quite happy it seemed as he closed the door behind his friend. “Thanks for coming over today, I’m sure you probably wanted to relax a bit more on your day off.” There he was, jumping to some sort of conclusion all on his own. </p><p>“Don’t thank me. I invited myself, remember?” Grimmjow recalled as he followed Ichigo deeper into the apartment. The redhead gave a short laugh as he nodded at the memory.</p><p>	“That’s right, isn’t it? You’d never asked me for anything before.” He smiled again, Ichigo’s observation only bringing a deep flush to Grimmjow’s face. Fuck, he hadn’t realized that. Whether he actually wanted to acknowledge it or not, this kid paid more attention to him than he let on. </p><p>Ichigo’s resounding laugh was enough to make Grimmjow a little dizzy, his blush searing further into his skin. The taller man sulked a little, finding himself completely helpless as his emotions had become nearly palpable.</p><p>	Avoiding the redhead’s gaze, he quietly looked around the apartment. It really wasn’t all that different from his own. Of course, rather than it being three rooms, it was only one. Well, it made enough sense for a guy living on his own for college. Just like Ichigo had said, it was empty as all hell. Sure, there were a few decorations here and there, and it was clear that this space was being lived in… but it didn’t have the warmth or comfort of a home. Grimmjow decided to leave Ichigo’s comment open ended. He certainly wasn’t wrong, and he wasn’t particularly keen on delving deeper into the subject.</p><p>	Grimmjow spared another glance in Ichigo’s direction as the redhead took his backpack from him, slinging it  over his shoulder before easily depositing it in the corner of the living room.</p><p>	“You packed more for tonight than I’ve ever seen you bring to class.” He joked, though the suggestion left Grimmjow with a whole new tide of nervousness in his stomach. Geez, he really couldn’t read Ichigo at times like this. S’ like he was actually flirting with him ‘r somethin.</p><p>	Grimmjow simply shrugged it off as he took a seat beneath the table in the center of the small living space. He leaned back on his hands, letting his torso slack a bit as he looked up at the redhead.</p><p>	Damn, his hair was fuckin’ pretty. It was a sight to behold on most days. Even now as it was neatly braided, almost mirroring the first half of Ichigo’s spine. He had a lot to accomplish in a single evening. Retaining his cool facade, convincing Ichigo that he could be a good friend at times, and most of all, he really wanted a chance to play with that hair of his. </p><p>	All of these things of course, were much easier said than done. Ichigo took the seat across from him, though he instead opted to lean his elbows against the wooden surface, keeping his gaze fixated upon his classmate. Grimmjow felt his lower lip twitch a little at the prolonged eye contact, trying to will himself from looking away. </p><p>	“What? S’ there somethin’ on my face?” He snorted, hoping that his scowl would ward away any blows to his confidence. </p><p>	“I mean, yeah. I asked for something new and I got a lot more than I bargained for.” He smiled again, gesturing briefly at the man across from him. <br/>	“I never took you for a mascara guy.”</p><p>	“Well excuse me, it won’t fuckin happen again.” Grimmjow immediately sat up, a frown etching into his face as he sat up, pressing the heel of his palm against his eye, preparing to smudge all of Nelliel’s hard work.</p><p>	Though, before he could really cause any damage, a firm and warm hand had wrapped itself around his wrist. </p><p> </p><p>	“Hey- I didn’t mean it like that.” Grimmjow stilled in his grip, hesitating for a moment before his head snapped up to meet Ichigo’s gaze. </p><p>	“Thanks for putting in the extra effort for me. You look amazing.” </p><p>	Grimmjow could barely catch his breath. How the fuck could somebody be this sincere without embarrassing the shit out of themselves? It had him beyond belief as Ichigo’s molten honey gaze remained a mere few inches from his own. Within a moment of regaining his composure, Grimmjow quickly yanked himself from the redhead’s grasp, abruptly turning his attention to the floor. </p><p> </p><p>	“Yeah, don’t push it.” He muttered, still unable to dismiss the memory of Ichigo’s stare from his mind. Part of Grimmjow was well aware that the redhead was leaving a mark on him at breakneck speed. As much as he wanted to credit this development to his own severe lack of social skills, it was hard to write off everything he was feeling as mere friendship. </p><p>	Calling this little escapade between him and Ichigo a “crush” was a bit of a stretch, even if Nelliel was gunning for the situation to turn out that way. It’s hardly been a week since the two of them met to begin with, and he knew well enough that this was way too soon to consider Ichigo somebody that he could seriously confide in.</p><p>	To Grimmjow’s dismay, Ichigo seemed to be getting more and more proficient in flustering him by the day. It was weird to be the one being flirted with, rather than doing the flirting. (If he could even get away with calling it that).</p><p> </p><p>	“You’ve got a pretty nice place here, though you were right about it feelin’ empty.” Grimmjow glanced over at the redhead again, already seeing his gaze becoming a bit distant. All he was getting at was that he understood the redhead. He pondered it over again for a moment, before deciding that it really wasn’t the best conversation starter…<br/>	“I’ll help ya make this place feel a little more lived in, alright?” His voice tilted upwards a little, gesturing to his backpack as it slumped against the wall.</p><p> </p><p>	“I did bring stuff to study, buuut I was sorta hoping that you might have something else in mind.” Grimmjow suggested, hoping that he managed to smooth things over easily enough. </p><p> </p><p>	“Yeah, I was gonna cook dinner, but we’ve got some time to burn before then.” Ichigo smiled as he retrieved the deck of cards that had been sitting in the center of the table. Grimmjow watched quietly as Ichigo unsheathed the cards and proceeded to shuffle them somewhat clumsily. As focused at the redhead seemed to be on his current task, he still glanced up at his guest for a moment before returning to the mission at hand. </p><p> </p><p>	“Have you ever played “war”?” He asked, a light smile capering on his lips as he began to divy up the deck evenly between the two of them. </p><p> </p><p>	Turns out, the answer was “no”, but Ichigo was more than happy to demonstrate. Not only that, but Grimmjow was prompt to display his competitive side around the time they got to their third round of play. As far as card games go, War is a game of luck rather than one of skill. Though the blue haired man played as if he had a sense of strategy (he didn’t) and forfeit as if there was something to be lost in the first place. </p><p>	Grimmjow’s first ceding went over smoothly enough. Sure the guy was a bit miffed that he had been defeated at a game he was playing for the first time, but as far as Grimm was really concerned, a loss was a loss. He collected his composure again for round two. Each flip of a card held the weight of anticipation with it, and it left the poor guy on the brink of frustration as his luck with cards had taken a trip to the shitter for the better half of the evening. </p><p>	Due to Grimmjow’s frequent demands for “one more round”, the pair didn’t get around to starting dinner any earlier than well after the sun had already set. Hell, it wasn’t until Ichigo had gotten as far as serving their meal that he actually considered how late it had gotten. </p><p> </p><p>	“Would you wanna stay over tonight? I’ve got some spare clothes that should fit ya.” Ichigo offered, taking a bite of his sandwich, his gaze drifting back down to his plate as he spoke. Grimmjow considered for a moment if it would be strange to admit that he brought a spare change of clothes… He was gonna figure out either way, right? Or would it be better to just take his offer?</p><p> </p><p>	“Uh, Sure. I’ll just text Nel n’ tell her that I’ll be comin’ home in the morning.” He replied through a mouth full of food. He quickly set down his sandwich, grabbing his phone from his pocket. </p><p> </p><p>GRIMMJOW: Ichigo invited me to stay over. I’ll be home tomorrow. <br/>NELLIEL: I figured, lol &lt;3<br/>NELLIEL: Have fun!!!</p><p> </p><p>Grimmjow frowned at his phone screen for a moment, before quickly shoving it back into his pocket. Even though it was against his better judgement, Grimmjow decided to avoid admitting that he had prepared to stay over. </p><p> </p><p>Getting off all of the makeup that Nelliel had applied was a challenge. It turns out, Ichigo doesn’t have anything to remove makeup at his house. Apparently, soap and water was supposed to work well enough. Unfortunately Grimmjow was a fucking dolt and opened his eyes before rinsing all of the soap off, which led to Ichigo fervently trying to help the agitated man rinse out his eye before he went on to irritate the other one. </p><p> </p><p>“What’cha laughing at? You think this is funny?” Grimmjow hissed, still holding a damp cloth to his eye, the other left with streaks of mascara running down his face. </p><p>“Kinda, I figured if you could do makeup like that, you must know how to remove it.” Ichigo spoke, trying to muster his laughter by looking away. </p><p>“Nelliel did it for me, I didn’t think to ask about gettin’ it off.” Jaegerjaquez explained a bit bashfully, his gaze also averting. He pulled the cloth away from his eye, wincing a little as he looked around. Well, most of it was out and he could still see so... Grimmjow was gonna count this one as a win. </p><p> </p><p>The taller man retreated to the living room to grab his toothbrush and toothpaste before returning and getting back down to business. He didn’t think to question anything until Ichigo gave him an almost knowing look. </p><p>“What?” He spoke through a mouth full of foam. </p><p> </p><p>“Do you always take a toothbrush over to a friend’s house? Or were you planning on this from the start?” Ichigo asked, his smirk only growing as his classmate nearly choked. </p><p>“It’s alright, I was hoping you’d stay over too.” He admitted, smiling again as he watched Grimmjow’s face fall into an embarrassed scowl, fixating his gaze on the mirror across from him. </p><p> </p><p>“Think what you want.” He muttered after spitting into the sink, wiping his mouth on the back of his hand. </p><p>“I’m gonna go change,” Grimmjow decided, as he slid the door of the bathroom closed. Surely Ichigo would take a little while in there, right? He looked around the empty living room for a moment, listening as he could hear the redhead turn the sink back on. He shrugged before rummaging through his bag, dropping his pajama pants and a tank top onto the table. It wasn’t until he was dressed again that he realized the flaw in his attire. </p><p> </p><p>He hurried to rummage through his bag, trying to find the sweatshirt that he usually wore to work. Shit. Grimmjow damn near jolted as the bathroom door slid back open, whipping himself around to face Ichigo again. He watched as the redhead’s gaze of approval came across for a moment as he eyed his exposed arms. Until they slowly drifted down, down, down. He lifted his hand up to slightly obscure the scar, instantly breaking the redhead’s gaze. </p><p> </p><p>At the very least, Ichigo had the decency not to ask. It was a story he’d rather not tell. The pink marred flesh that circled around the upper half of his bicep and the ugly way the skin puffed up around the edges of the old wound was something he usually kept concealed. If anything, the mark reminded him of how weak he used to be. It’s a version of himself that he’d rather not see the light of day. </p><p> </p><p>“Well, if you’re ready to head to bed, could you help me move the table?” Ichigo asked, washing Grimmjow over with a wave of gratitude. He nodded, coming around to grab one side of the table as they moved it across the room. They made quick work of the futon (note, singular). Apparently, the look of surprise was enough to elicit a comment from Ichigo.</p><p> </p><p>“It’s big enough for two, if you don’t mind sharing.” Grimmjow quickly shook his head, trying to play it off as cool as he could. </p><p>“S’ fine.” He replied shortly, watching as Ichigo retrieved two pillows from the closet before shutting the lights off. The thin curtains over the living room window allowed enough moonlight in to dimply illuminate the room. </p><p> </p><p>It was a wonder how Grimmjow’s heartbeat couldn’t be heard throughout the room. The damn thing had nestled it’s way into his throat, his hands shaking as he struggled to stay still. How the fuck was he supposed to know that Ichigo didn’t have a spare futon?! Was he planning on this too? Grimmjow struggled a little as he gently wiped his sweaty palm against his shirt. </p><p> </p><p>Taking in a deep breath felt more like jumping around in a canoe, the gentle cracking of his ribs akin to snapping twigs. Was his body always this noisy? God, he might be keeping Ichigo awake! The blood in Grimmjow’s veins just about froze as the redhead started to sit up, turning over to face him, his hair disheveled and tumbling over his shoulders. </p><p> </p><p>“Can’t sleep?” Ichigo asked, his hands coming up to rest between them as he got settled down. The moonlight really did know how to paint Kurosaki in all the right colors. The view had him completely enamored, the usual soft strands of copper hair gave off an almost golden hue, though his eyes looked more tawny than their usual rich chestnut hues. Shit, what did he say again?</p><p> </p><p>“Can I,” He swallowed, feeling his fingers start to tremble again. “Can I touch your hair?” Grimmjow corrected, the maddening shudder in his chest being met with a dimly lit smile and a light laugh. Clearly Ichigo must have been just as embarrassed, if the modest nod he gave was anything to go by. </p><p> </p><p>The taller man internally cringed as he reached out, his clammy hands catching a little as he brushed a few strands of hair back, tucking them behind Ichigo’s ear. For a moment he was able to feel the faint ghost of Ichigo’s breath against his arm. Grimmjow slowed for a moment, letting his fingers brush over Kurosaki’s cheek as he withdrew. The only thing keeping Grimmjow together at the moment was his fixed gaze on his own hand. Taking a chance with eye contact would risk the dissolve of his newfound confidence. </p><p> </p><p>Luckily, the night air had its own way of cooling Grimmjow’s hands, allowing him to card his fingers through Ichigo’s hair with a bit more ease. It seemed that letting his fingernails lightly scrape against Ichigo’s scalp was just the trick to put the redhead at ease. With Ichigo’s warm stare no longer a factor, Grimmjow allowed himself to be a bit more adventurous. </p><p> </p><p>His fingers were cautious as they wandered from the light fringe of Kurosaki’s bangs, tracing his brow bone and following the smooth slope of his freckled nose. Letting his thumb roll over the smooth plane of Ichigo’s cheek, he noticed a small smile twitch at the corner of the redhead’s mouth. </p><p> </p><p>“I didn’t say you could do all’ that.” Ichigo murmured, causing Grimmjow’s hand to come to a halt. He snickered lightly, cracking an eye open to look up at Grimmjow.</p><p>“-But I’m glad you did.” He finished, letting his eyes close again. Surely Ichigo was blissfully unaware of just how easily he caused a stir in his chest. </p><p> </p><p>Grimmjow moved to cup the side of Ichigo’s face in his hand, a flood of affection swirling in his stomach as Ichigo gently canted into his touch. As much as he was aware that his behavior was far too familiar, Grimmjow couldn’t feel any awkwardness behind it. He couldn’t remember the last time he was close to somebody like this. A deep part of himself yearned for this kind of unbridled warmth. If this was a situation where he was taking advantage of Kurosaki’s kindness, he would easily consider himself guilty. Hell, he’d probably do it again if he had the chance to start over. </p><p> </p><p>At least, those were his last thoughts as he finally dozed off to sleep; Ichigo’s hand clutching his own.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. The fresh taste of Jealousy</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>"Ichigo has friends? Other than me? Fucked up if true </p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>A little time skip at the beginning of this chapter! The first chapter started in mid spring so I implied that the time skip was about 2 months so they're getting into early summer now :3</p><p>Tysm everyone for the kudos and comments! Lmk if y'all want me to open up a discord server for this fic :0</p><p>Also, follow my twitter @Skyshoujos for updates on new chapters!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It didn’t take long for Grimmjow and Ichigo to form a habit of spending their Friday nights together. As much as it was about seeing one another, it was a break from their everyday lives. Like a breath of fresh air among all of the trials and tribulations that came with each passing week. Hell, Grimm had gotten so used to sharing a futon with Ichigo that he could comfortably sprawl out and snore as if he was in his own bed. Luckily, Ichigo turned out to be a heavy sleeper. </p><p> </p><p>Spending the first day of his weekend at Kurosaki’s apartment quickly became the part of his week that he looked forward to most.</p><p> </p><p>KUROSAKI: I’m gonna be busy on Friday, sorry for the short notice. </p><p> </p><p>Which is exactly why with such a simple text, Grimmjow’s scowl etched so deeply into his brow. As much as he couldn’t expect to monopolize all of Ichigo’s Friday nights, he couldn’t help but feel the wave of disappointment crash over him. </p><p> </p><p>GRIMMJOW: ??? Did something come up?<br/>KUROSAKI: Some friends from back home decided to pay me a visit.</p><p> </p><p>Grimmjow’s frown became tinged with confusion. Kurosaki had never mentioned any other friends to him. Plus, what did he need them for anyways? He had Grimmjow to hang out with now. At least, that made enough sense to him. </p><p> </p><p>GRIMMJOW: But we had plans first.<br/>KUROSAKI: I know, but I don’t get to see them often. They wanted to surprise me.</p><p> </p><p>The blue haired man took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down as he could<br/>feel the anger and jealousy begin to nestle into his stomach. It wasn’t fair! I don’t care if some losers want to occupy Kurosaki’s time! I asked first, I called dibs! Plus, Kurosaki was probably gonna have more fun if he spent it with me anyways! Grimmjow clenched his fist, the grip on his cellphone becoming far too tight. How am I supposed to just lie down and take this? Kurosaki is supposed to be my friend! Grimmjow quickly dialed to call Ichigo, the call immediately dropping, a surge of loneliness filling his lungs. </p><p> </p><p>	KUROSAKI: Can’t talk now. I’m in class. <br/>	GRIMMJOW: Fine.</p><p> </p><p>	Grimmjow set his phone down onto the kitchen counter, huffing out a long breath as he instead clenched the cool edge of the countertop. He always hated how short his fuse was. Though the concept of sitting back and letting shit happen just made his guts twist into knots. It was hard to stay complacent and understanding during times like this. It took a lot for Grimmjow to allow Ichigo into his life to begin with, and without any real sturdy ground for what “friendship” meant, every little misstep went over as smoothly as a slap across the face. It wasn’t as if Grimmjow had a personal vendetta to nitpick all of Ichigo’s actions as much as it was just a simple lack of experience. </p><p> </p><p>	He tried to breathe out another sigh, the sharp gust of air still coming off as if it was from someone who was agitated. (He was). Grimmjow abandoned his phone in the kitchen and crossed the living room, resting his arm against the window frame to gaze out into the street below. The sunlight coming through the glass radiated against his skin, casting a reflection of himself against the glass. </p><p> </p><p>	“Well aren’t you looking all stoic?” A syrupy voice came from behind him, causing Grimm to roll his eyes in annoyance. </p><p>“Not in the mood for your shit right now, Nel.” He shot back, his voice dripping with venom. </p><p>“Ooh, scary!” She shot back, clearly unbothered by her younger brother’s outburst. “What’s got you cranky, Grimm?” She asked, taking a seat at the dinner table as she unscrewed a bottle of fuschia nail polish. </p><p>“I’m not going over to Kurosaki’s place tomorrow night.” He replied shortly, still refusing to turn back and face his sister. </p><p>“Oh? He cancelled on you? Did he say why?” Nelliel asked, her beige gaze fixed on her index finger as she carefully coated her fingernail.</p><p>“He’s got some friends from out of town coming over instead.” His tone took another turn for the worst as his frustration began to surge back. </p><p>“Oh? That sounds like fun, Did he invite you to come along?” She said, taking a break from her painting to glance up at the blue haired man in the window, currently blocking a good portion of the natural light. </p><p>“Of course not. He doesn’t need me. He has his old friends now.” He heard a huff of annoyance from behind him, causing Grimmjow to whip around, a whole slew of words beginning to build up on his tongue. </p><p>“You know he wouldn’t say that.” Nel spoke shortly, a frown on her lips as she looked up at Grimm. </p><p>“Sure he wouldn’t say it, but it’s still true! Why would he need an asshole like me around if his little groupies are coming to see him?”</p><p>	Nelliel’s expression quickly fell, her hand coming up to cover her mouth. Until little by little, the teal haired woman began to chuckle. </p><p>	“His groupies, huh?” She sputtered, leaning forward in her chair, being cautious to keep her hair away from her freshly painted nails. “Grimm, I knew you got jealous easily, but I never thought you could be so funny!” She continued, heaving between breaths as she laughed.</p><p> </p><p>	As much as Grimmjow wanted to shout back, a flush of embarrassment started to flood his face, and the frown holding his lips shut wasn’t in any hurry to come up with a rebuttal. It took a moment for Nelliel to regain her composure, giving Grimmjow a few short apologies for losing it to begin with before she finally returned to her point. </p><p> </p><p>	“Grimm, I don’t think he’s doing this on purpose. Your world is small still compared to his. Kurosaki is gonna have friends that miss him. You miss him all the time too, don’t you? They’re feeling the same thing, and they probably haven’t seen him since he moved away.” The woman explained, her gaze becoming soft as she continued to talk. </p><p>“Why don’t you ask if you can join them for a few hours? It’ll probably be too crowded for you to stay the night, but it’d be better than not seeing him at all, right?” She suggested, only getting a small nod from her younger brother in return. </p><p>“If he says no, at least you tried. Though I doubt he would do it without a good reason.” She smiled at him, watching as Grimmjow jutted out his lower lip a little bit. It was always a miracle to Grimmjow how she managed to diffuse him so easily. It was almost like she could always see right through him. </p><p>“Thanks. I’ll give him a call when he gets out of class tonight.” With that much resolved, the younger brother retired to his bedroom, flopping down onto his bed with a quiet “Oomph.”</p><p> </p><p>	He internally groaned as he realized he’d forgotten his phone on the kitchen counter, though he wasn’t bothered enough by it to move again, instead turning his head to find Ulquiorra who was quietly perched, his gaze fixated on the gameboy in his hands.</p><p>	“Hey. Can you go grab my phone?”<br/>	“Get it yourself.” Grimmjow frowned at that, his head flopping down onto his pillow.</p><p>	“Dude, I’m asking you to tho.” He insisted again, only getting a minor reaction from his younger brother. </p><p>“I’m saying that if you want it so bad, get it yourself.” Well, he couldn’t say he didn’t expect that response. </p><p>“C’mon, please?” </p><p>“What are you going to do for me?” Ulquiorra inquired, his eyes only now glancing up from his game.</p><p>“I dunno.”</p><p>“Better come up with something before I do.” He pressed on, his interest only now piquing now that he could possibly gain anything from this endeavor. If he was lucky enough, Grimmjow would be too lazy to inquire about any possible losses.</p><p>“A dollar.”</p><p>“Make it two.”</p><p>“No, Jackass. You’re just grabbing my phone.”</p><p>“A dollar fifty.”</p><p>“... Fine.” Grimmjow resigned, feeling a small twinge of victory as Ulquiorra got up and left the room. </p><p> </p><p>	The youngest sibling returned shortly after, dropping the phone onto the pillow beside Grimmjow’s head before he promptly returned to his game. He’ll return later to collect his bounty. Though Grimmjow pushed that thought aside for the time being as a new notification popped up onto his screen. </p><p> </p><p>	KUROSAKI: Hey, did I strike a nerve or something?</p><p> </p><p>	No shit. Grimmjow shook his head. That probably wasn’t the best way to start things off. </p><p> </p><p>	GRIMMJOW: Kinda. <br/>	KUROSAKI: Hm. Do you want to call? I’m leaving class now.<br/>	GRIMMJOW: Sure.</p><p> </p><p>	As much as he should take the initiative on this one, Grimmjow still decided to wait until Ichigo dialed him. Even though he was expecting it, he was still a bit startled when his phone began to buzz in his hand. He hit accept, and brought the phone up to his ear, his gaze defaulting to the bunk bed above him. </p><p> </p><p>	“Hey,” Grimmjow spoke, his voice coming off as strange and somewhat unfamiliar to himself. </p><p>“Hey! Sorry about the wait there, I should have waited until after I was out of class to tell you.” Kurosaki’s voice came through the receiver as Grimmjow let his tongue idly roll over his front teeth. </p><p>“I’m not worried about that. Who’s all coming over this weekend?” He asked, trying to propel the conversation onward rather than dilly dallying in what was considered polite. </p><p>“Oh! I forgot to tell you about my friends from Karakura.” Kurosaki started, making Grimm roll his eyes a little. Of course I didn’t know, you never bothered to tell me. Though the subject still piqued his interest, saving his internal mulling for later. </p><p>“They’re friends from my high school. Orihime, Chad and Uryu.” He listed, as if Grimmjow was really going to be able to remember all of that. </p><p> </p><p>	“Can I come over too?” The blue haired man butted in, a brief moment of utter dread sinking in as Kurosaki hesitated to give an immediate answer.</p><p> </p><p>	“Hm… I don’t see why not. It’s gonna be crowded anyways, I don’t see what difference one more would make.” Grimmjow could hear Ichigo’s smile in his voice, and it was more than enough to quell the stress and loneliness that had begun to brew inside of him. </p><p> </p><p>	“Cool… Should I still pack to stay over?” He asked, silently wondering if that entire group of people was planning on crashing in Kurosaki’s postage stamp sized apartment. </p><p> </p><p>	“It wouldn’t hurt. I’m not sure what all of their plans are, but we’ll find room for you.” Wow, Grimmjow came to understand for a moment that Nelliel was actually right for once. Damn, that shit's crazy.</p>
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<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Pricks, Presumptions and Pouts.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Grimmjow heads over to Ichigo's apartment for an evening of new faces. Bickering and misunderstandings ensue.<br/>Please note:<br/>Uryu is "Glasses"<br/>Chad is "Big Guy"<br/>Orihime is "Jiggles"<br/>*Note: Orihime will be getting proper attention later on in the story lol</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The sound of cicadas was almost overwhelming to Grimmjow as he scaled the wooden stairs of Ichigo’s apartment complex. Watching the rays of evening sunlight pour over the unfinished wood was somewhat grounding as his feet continued their way onward. </p><p>	Hesitating in front of Kurosaki’s apartment was his first major mistake, and as much as he didn’t want to notice, there were several voices coming from the other side of the metal door. Some of them were deeper than others, while he was almost certain that there was a girl in there too. The thought made him frown a little, a stir of anxiety beginning to brew in his gut. God. He was gonna have to introduce himself to people. That was always the worst! There was a reason why Ichigo was the only person that he’d bothered to befriend in the last several years. Luckily, the redhead seemed to make the process as painless as possible. </p><p>	Before he could come up with another thought to drone into, the front door swung open, nearly smacking him in the face. </p><p>	“Hey man- the fuck?!” Grimmjow snarled immediately before his eyes caught the flash of saturated auburn hair and a modest smile to match. </p><p>	“Jaegerjaquez? It’s about time you got here.” He joked, taking Grimmjow by the wrist and guiding him inside. As much as Grimm knew that he should tell the redhead off for being so damn handsy, it came as such a surprise to him that he really didn’t bother to correct his friend. Hell, he hardly had a moment to formulate his words of refusal before he was being presented before a living room full of people like a god-damn show dog. </p><p>	His eyes quickly jumped around the room, hopping from one face to the next. Glasses. Big Guy. Jiggles. Damn. That’s quite the crew. Unfortunately for Grimmjow, he took so long trying to find adequate nicknames for the ragtag team of hometown friends that he completely missed his chance at any sort of understandable introduction. Well, at least Jiggles seemed nice.  </p><p>	For a moment he could definitely hear Kurosaki speak to him, but he’d be damned before knowing what it was. It also seemed that the blue haired man had piss-por luck today, as the redhead looked at him expectantly for an answer. Shit. Shit. Fuck. Shit. </p><p>	“What?” He asked, clearly bewildered. </p><p>	“Introduce yourself.” Ichigo hissed, surprising Grimmjow a little as the redhead seemed to be slightly annoyed by how slow he was with the uptake. </p><p>	“Oh.” He froze again for a moment, watching the small group of people as they stared at him expectantly. </p><p>	“Jaegerjaquez. Grimmjow.” He spoke flatly, even though his posture stiffened a little, the awkwardness settling in as he continued to stand in a room full of people that were seated. Well, everyone excluding himself and Ichigo. </p><p>	Grimmjow jumped upon the opportunity to take a seat as he watched Ichigo move, somewhat unfortunately landing himself right next to the redhead, their knees bumping together as they settled down. </p><p>The blue haired man did his best to blend into the atmosphere, despite his overbearing and clearly awkward aura as he sat nestled between freckles and glasses. It seemed to work out just fine for the most part until Jiggles decided to make her presence unavoidable. </p><p>	“So, how long have you been living in Tokyo, Jackie?” She asked, leaning forward with one of her arms resting on the table. What? Jackie? Who? Grimmjow blinked for a moment, becoming absolutely confused as to why anyone would even consider calling him that. </p><p>“I just moved here a few months ago,” He replied shortly, stunning himself once again with his lack of resistance to familiarity. Perhaps the heat was starting to get to him. </p><p>“Oh? Then you’re like Ichigo!” She resolved, looking quite pleased with herself as her gaze wandered out to the front window. </p><p>“Ichigo doesn’t call as much as he used to, but I’ve heard a lot about you.” She smiled sweetly, her gaze flickering back down to the table. Even he could tell that there was a bit of sadness hidden behind those words, but Grimmjow made a point to avoid causing trouble for worrying over problems that certainly weren’t his own. After all, thinking about the prospect that Kurosaki actually talked about him to other people was far too difficult to resist. It left him with a gentle squeeze around his heart… Though maybe that wasn’t healthy. </p><p>“Uh-huh…” He replied half-heartedly, clearly trying to dissolve the conversation as quickly as he could. </p><p>“Yeah, from what I hear you’re quite the handful.” Glasses butted in, pushing the thin silver frames impossibly higher into his nose. The sentiment made Grimmjow’s eyes roll as he ignored the comment altogether. </p><p>“So it’s true then? Or is it ‘None of my business’?” He asked, leaning forward a little as he watched Grimmjow squirm a bit. It wasn’t so much out of intimidation as much as Grimmjow was finding the power within himself to not sculpt the guy a new nose. He turned to Ichigo, his frustration coming to a near breaking point. </p><p>“Just how much have you been telling these guys about?” He hissed, trying to keep his voice low and his expression somewhat unaffected. </p><p>“They’re my friends, I don’t see the issue in keeping them on the know about what’s going on.” Kurosaki reasoned. The oblivious bastard. He turned back to glasses again, far more miffed now than he ever was before. </p><p>“Do you have anything better to do? You’re a fuckin antagonist.” Jaegerjaquez muttered, resting his elbow on the table and propping his head up into his hand. He set his jaw, letting his lower lip jut out a bit as he glared at the dark haired man beside him. </p><p>“I just can’t wrap my head around why he even gives you the time of day. You seem like a pest to me.” The glasses-clad man reasoned, clearly unbothered by giving his unadulterated opinion. Grimmjow clicked his tongue against his teeth, leaning forward as he continued to leer at the raven-haired man. </p><p>“Watch it, punk. I’ll tear you a new one.” </p><p>“I’d like to see you try.”</p><p>Well, there’s one person he’d rather die than befriend. Just another he can add to the list. Grimmjow internally sighed. He just didn’t get how Ichigo could get along with a prick like him. </p><p>“I’d watch your mouth, you might find yourself picking up teeth if you’re not careful.” Grimmjow warned for a last time before diverting his attention to Ichigo. As much as the unapproving stare he was getting wasn’t the best case scenario, it was better than letting Glasses mock the shit out of him. </p><p>“Please at least try to get along with my friends.” The redhead requested, even though Grimmjow would have been more than happy to shoot back with ‘You’d be better without him anyways’, he still took the safest route and bit his tongue. </p><p>The taller man scooted himself away from Glasses a bit, even if it meant putting himself flush against whom he assumed to be his only ally in the room full of what he still considered to be strangers. This move earned him an odd look from Jiggles, and what he thought to be a brief glance from the big guy who had yet to say much more than a sentence. </p><p>“Are you two dating yet?” Jiggles blurted, the blunt set of words nearly sending Grimmjow out of his skin. What??? What??? How the fuck did she come to that conclusion???</p><p>	“Of course not!”<br/>
“No way!” The pair blurted out in sync, which seemed to be perfectly timed with how both of them seemed to create space between them. The verbal suggestion left Jaegerjaquez quite red in the face. Though it still left a bit of courage within him as he spared a glance at Ichigo who seemed to be just as flushed. As much as he wished he hadn’t noticed, Glasses seemed to sulk a little at their combined reaction. Well, it wasn’t any of his business. </p><p>“Really?” The girl seemed utterly dumbfounded by this news as she cocked her head to the side. </p><p>“Yes, Really!” Kurosaki reiterated, the redness in his cheeks continued to spread, even amongst the scowl of embarrassment that settled into his features. The sight was almost enough to be endearing, if it wasn’t in reaction to the mere idea of a relationship between them. </p><p>“But you two seem so close… And you’ve been talking about him since March.” She added, still looking quite puzzled by the situation. </p><p>“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to alarm either of you.” She apologized, a small blush of her own starting to form on her cheeks. Did they really seem that close? Sure, maybe casual skinship wasn’t exactly normal between two bros, but it never went any farther than that. As far as Grimmjow knew, it was never going to either. </p><p>Ever since that topic came up, Grimmjow had a hard time really settling down. It almost felt like he had created an obsessive habit of reading waaay too far into Ichigo’s every move. Of course it wasn’t like he was nervous. Grimmjow had never been nervous over something as stupid as this! And that wasn’t about to change any time soon! (Note: He’s tense as all hell).</p><p>As the evening continued to drone on, Grimmjow had come to appreciate the silent charms of the hawaiian shirt-clad giant on the far side of the room. The guy knew how to use his stoic aura to his advantage. He was quiet in a way that wasn’t tense or agitating. It mostly just seemed like the guy didn’t have much to add to the conversation, which was totally acceptable. (Ex: Annoyingly quiet people: 1. Ulquiorra).</p><p> </p><p>Unlike last week, when it was time to settle down for bed… It was a fucking shit show. The kotatsu table had to be moved out of the room completely, as it was left to be propped up in the kitchen for the night. Luckily, the other three guests had enough insight to bring their own bedding essentials. Whereas for Grimmjow, he conveniently left his shit at home, which was pretty much routine at this point. </p><p>Of course, this led to a few raised eyebrows when Ichigo rolled out his futon and the blue haired man perched himself on top of it without a second thought. Much to his dismay, Glasses-boy had the audacity to sleep on the other side of him. Fuckin prick. As much as Grimmjow wished he could turn his back to him and focus on Ichigo instead, he couldn’t help but feel the guys dark grey eyes piercing into the back of his head. The feeling of unease irritated him beyond belief, even as he ground his teeth in an attempt to preserve his restraint. </p><p>The blue haired man was startled from his thoughts as he felt a warm hand rest on his shoulder. Grimmjow’s gaze quickly snapped up to meet amber, his frustration quickly dissipating. Geez, it was like Ichigo always knew what to do. It was so fuckin’ annoying. Well, annoying in a way that wormed right into his heart.<br/>
Kurosaki brought an index finger up to his lips as he made a “shush’-ing gesture, to which Grimmjow only gave a quiet nod. He then motioned for the blue haired man to move closer, which was quickly followed by a bit of rustling as Grimmjow tried to scoot nearer. It seemed that he hadn’t closed the gap enough for Ichigo’s satisfaction. </p><p>	How could somebody be this damn warm? He felt so awkward and stiff as Kurosaki wound himself into his arms, promptly and unapologetically resting his head directly onto his bicep. He could feel Ichigo’s soft panting gust against his bare arm, and even the shallow waves of his breathing as his hand rested on the redhead’s back. There was a small part of Grimmjow that was wondering what sparked his friend’s newfound forwardness, though he decided to write it off as trying to save space. After all, maybe Glasses was just pissed that he didn’t have enough room to sprawl out comfortably. </p><p>	Grimmjow’s heart clenched almost painfully as Ichigo nuzzled his freckled cheek against his arm. His face ignited with warmth, even as his eyes struggled to focus on Kurosaki’s face, as he nearly swore that the little fucker had come to adorn a smirk. Was he doing this on purpose? He huffed out a sigh of annoyance, which suddenly came to a halt as he felt Ichigo’s warm palm rest against his chest. Jaegaejaquez clenched his jaw a little, an embarrassed pout commanding his features as he quickly came to accept that he was at Kurosaki’s mercy for the time being. Oddly enough, he wasn’t having any qualms with it either. </p><p>	Nestling his own nose into the crown of Kurosaki’s head was a task that he would praise himself over for weeks to come. The familiar scent of orange oil was refreshing and about as tranquil as it would ever get for Grimmjow. A low hum of approval rumbled in his chest as he began to relax, letting his eyes finally drift close. It was a wonder how he was ever gonna sleep this soundly again without Kurosaki in his arms.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thank you all so much again for the lovely feedback I've been getting! If anyone ever wants to shoot me a message, please feel free! I love talking about this fic so much and I'm so excited to really get into how much foreshadowing I've been doing. Also! I'm still looking for an extra beta reader or two for this fic, so if you're interested, contact me so I can give you my discord info! I'm always looking for extra people to bounce my ideas off of :&gt;</p>
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<a name="section0008"><h2>8. The morning after</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>It seems that today the world has it out for Grimmjow. Unplanned photo-ops and pretense confessions.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Happy GrimmIchi day!! 6/15/20 I'm so glad I got this chapter ready for today and that it covers what it does :&gt; I also wanna give a big thanks to my betas and my readers. Y'all are so inspiring and make this story such a joy to write. Thank you so much for letting me share this with all of you! &lt;3</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Grimmjow awoke the next morning with a weight on his chest, and a tickle in his nose. He grumbled a little bit as he came-to, blinking as his eyes adjusted to the bright rays of sunlight that spilled from the bay window. He raised an arm to rub at his face, smearing away the dried drool and groaning a little as he tried to sit up; but quickly relented under the weight. </p><p>Once his eyes finally managed to make out the space around him, a small part of his sleep-dazed mind really didn’t see any issue with the ocean of marmalade hair that took up a good half of his peripherals. In fact, it was comforting. Well, until Ichigo sat up with a start and eloquently shattered any sense of tranquility that Grimmjow had managed to settle into. He was still a bit confused as the redhead snapped at his friends who all seemed to be perfectly up and at it, even if it was probably… meh, sometime around eleven, if he had to guess. </p><p>“Why would you take a picture before waking us?!” Kurosaki snapped, the embers of irritation igniting in his vaguely groggy state. </p><p>“Then you would’ve stopped me.” The woman replied, blinking a bit innocently before looking back down at her phone screen. Ichigo groaned as he rubbed at his face, frustration rolling off of him in waves. </p><p>“Of course I would’ve stopped you! It’s embarrassing!” He reiterated again, gesturing at the phone that Jiggles still held securely in her hands. Grimmjow could hear Glasses scoff as he glanced at the back lit screen. Clearly he wasn’t impressed by the image either. </p><p>Eventually it seemed that Ichigo gave up on his torrent of embarrassment, slouching and hiding his face in his hands, his long locks of hair obscuring the pink-tinted tips of his ears. Grimmjow slowly sat up, rubbing at his eyes and adjusting the collar of his shirt. </p><p>“What’s with all the damn noise?” He muttered, his lower lip jutting out a bit once again, a sure sign of his annoyance. Kurosaki exhaled in defeat as he passed his phone over to Grimmjow. It took only a moment for the man to ignite with red. Did they really sleep like that? Of course, the answer was obvious, but the digital evidence was far more incriminating than he could have expected. This certainly wasn’t the first time that the pair had woken up tangled together… but this looked far too natural. </p><p>	Grimmjow promptly locked the phone, shoving it back into Ichigo’s hands. His head immediately snapped up, sending a glare at Jiggles, who seemed to be utterly oblivious to the havoc she was wreaking. It wasn’t like he really expected anyone else to be the culprit other than her. The big guy didn’t seem to care too much one way or the other, and Glasses almost seemed disgusted by it. </p><p>	The blue haired man opened his mouth to speak, trying to come up with some sort of reasonable explanation; but before any words could come, Ichigo had already stood and left the room. Grimmjow frowned a little as he carded a hand through his hair, muttering to himself. </p><p>	He took another glance around the room, pointedly noticing Glasses’s attempt at ignoring his presence. Whatever. Grimmjow honestly preferred it that way anyways. He stood up from the ground with a small groan of resistance before retiring to the bathroom. Luckily he managed to piss away a good hour getting ready that by the time he re-emerged, Kurosaki had already served breakfast. It at least saved him the grief of awkward small talk among the group of friends that were honestly starting to become more trouble than they were worth. Why the hell did Ichigo let these guys hang around him anyways? As far as he was concerned, it would have been more fun if the two of them just hung out like usual. Though he supposed that it wasn’t his particular call to make. </p><p>	It was safe to say that the rest of Grimmjow’s tense morning wasn’t exactly something he would give the time of day to recalling. Everything had gotten to be so awkward that it was nearly unbearable. It’s not like it was really his fault! If anything it was the trio who made a surprise visit that was to blame. Though, he couldn’t exactly say that out loud either. So much for the rude douchebag he used to be. Jaegerjaquez griped over that fact as he walked home, his hands shoved deep into his pockets. He knew in reality that Nel was gonna ask questions as soon as he came through the front door, and it felt like sorting through a pile of trash to figure out what he should risk telling her. There was no fucking way she was gonna get an earfull about sleeping next to Ichigo. It was easy blackmail material and he wasn’t about to give her that kind of leverage. Though it seemed that he wouldn’t have to mither about it for much longer, as the teal haired woman had perched herself at the kotatsu table, painting her nails again as she’d been awaiting her brother’s return. </p><p>	“You’re up early…” He started, dropping his bags off in the doorway with a dull thud. Grimmjow kept his gaze averted as he slipped off his shoes, already feeling small beads of sweat start to form at the back of his neck. </p><p>	“Couldn’t sleep.” She replied, her voice lacking any real interest as her beige gaze lifted up from the magenta lacquer. <br/>	“I’m assuming you slept well?” </p><p>	The younger sibling paused for a moment as he recalled the warmth of bespeckled skin, and the gentle scent that so perfectly embodied everything that was kurosaki. It was almost annoying how well his imagination could recreate the tender moment, and it left him with a residual warmth in his cheeks. </p><p>	“Yeah, it was kinda crowded though.” Grimmjow confirmed, taking Nelliel’s sharp glance to the vacant spot across from her as an order to take a seat. He had a feeling that his conversation had been coming for a long while now, though he really wished he’d taken more time to think about what he wanted to say. </p><p>	“I’m sure it was. How’re you feeling about him nowadays? Calling him your classmate doesn’t really fly anymore.” Nelliel spoke, immediately confronting the elephant in the room as the blue haired man took a seat. </p><p>	“Geez, not pulling any punches today are ya’ Nel?” He muttered, resting his chin in his hand as his eyes diverted to the bay window. </p><p>	“I’ve got work in 8 hours, I need to go to bed soon.” She shot back, before pressing further. “Answer the question.”</p><p>	He sucked in a sharp breath between his teeth, fidgeting again as he instead moved to lean back, his head falling back as he stared at the ceiling. Grimmjow knew well enough that the feelings he had for Ichigo were more than that of friends. Anyone could amount that on their own, even someone as socially inept as him. The real trouble was deciding if it was even worth the risk to follow his heart. Getting hurt. Being vulnerable. It was scarier than all hell. </p><p>	“I think… I’m in love.” He mumbled the second half of his sentence, his jaw fighting against him as he tried to articulate the words. God, just saying it out loud was enough to make the poor guy’s head spin. It’d be a miracle if he ever got around to confessing to Kurosaki himself. Nel nodded, her lips pressing together as she gave her younger brother a knowing look. </p><p>	“I trust him. He’s so kind to me. S’ fuckin ridiculous. I’m a moody and snippy bastard and he’s always got a smile on his face.” Grimmjow continued, his gaze jumping around the room as he tried to produce a single coherent thought at a time. <br/>	“I wanna tell him, but I don’t think it’d be fair to him unless he knew… about…” He paused for a moment. “About us,” Grimmjow finished, which was quickly followed up by a sigh from his sister. </p><p>	“It’s a big step, and I think it’s good that you want to be open with him, and truthful above everything else.” She hesitated. “I think being scared is a good thing. Just don’t run away from it.”</p><p>	Grimmjow felt a mild thrum in his chest, though he wasn’t sure if that was motivation or dread. He sat forward and fisted his hands into the denim material of his shorts.</p><p>	“I don’t want him to be afraid of me. What if he freaks out or somethin’?” He asked, looking up at Nel again, hoping that she might be a bit more experienced on this front than he was. </p><p>	“I don’t know. You’re much more brave than I am to wanna open up to him like this. I’ve always hidden it from anyone I’ve been interested in. Though I suppose yours is a bit harder to hide.” She reasoned, worrying her lower lip between her teeth. Nelliel knew well that it was hard for Grimmjow to conceal his other form. His emotions got out of hand easily, and along with that came his restraint to keep his human form intact. That alone was enough to know that Grimmjow probably hadn’t gotten very far with Ichigo. Physically or otherwise. </p><p>	“No shit. It’s gonna be a little harder to pop off with ‘By the way! I’m a fucking panther! Haha, wanna date?” He mock confessed, letting out a short puff of air as a pair of rounded and white ears unfurled from his head. It wasn’t often that Grimmjow relaxed this much, but it wasn’t as if it was completely uncalled for. He had a lot on his plate, and if he wanted to seriously get this off of his chest, he oughta do it in earnest. <br/>	“At least you’re a herbivore and don’t gotta deal with all the senses bullshit. The city’s still too damn noisy if you ask me.” He muttered, clearly in a grumpy mood as his tail slowly swayed back and forth behind him. </p><p>	Nel chuckled a little, hiding her face behind her hand as she tried not to embarrass her younger sibling. <br/>	“Well, if you trust him so much, why not try?” She asked, as if it was the simplest thing in the world.<br/>	“If things go badly and Kurosaki calls the cops or something, we’ll just pack up and move again.” Now, Grimmjow had to pull bullshit on that one. </p><p>	“You know we don’t have the kind of money for that. Unless you’ve been sitting on a fortune without telling me.” He replied shortly, his vertical pupils narrowing further as the sunlight hit them. </p><p>	“I’ll do anything to protect you and Ulquiorra. I don’t want you to hold back because of something like that.” Nelliel smiled sweetly before moving to coat her nails in another layer of polish. </p><p>	“I wanna see my sweet little Grimm happy. I’d like to see you open up to people. I want you to do this for yourself. I like Kurosaki. I think he’s a sweet guy. You think so too, don’t ya?” She asked, a smirk playing on her features. </p><p>	For some reason, hearing that sentiment made Grimmjow’s heart kinda syrupy. Sure, the prospect of confessing to Ichigo was still terrifying, but any fear he really had was soothed by Nelliel’s support. He really was a lucky guy to have a gal like her at his side. He just hoped that one day she could find her happiness as well. She worked far too hard not to. </p><p>	“I guess I’ll try talking to him about it… soon.” He decided, even if the thought alone was enough to send a jolt of unease down his spine. </p><p>	Making the decision to even confess was a big step all on it’s own, but finding the right time, and the place to make his move was gonna be a completely different feat on it’s own. He just hoped that when the time did come, it’d stare him right in the face.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Fearful first steps</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>“... Jaegerjaquez?” A familiar voice came as Grimmjow quickly turned around, all of the blood just about draining from his face.<br/>“You know that Mr.Yoruichi is just a cat, right? He can’t understand you.” Ichigo informed, which only added insult to injury.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you soo much for 1k+ hits! This chapter was a labor of love so I hope you enjoy it! The ball is really starting to roll! :&gt; It's been eleven days since the last update! Sorry about the big gap there, but this chapter is EXTRA chunky so hopefully it'll make up for the wait!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Thus began the dizzying march of events that led to what easily could be called the most nerve wracking evening of Grimmjow’s adult life. </p><p>	As easy as it would have been to put off the monstrous task of confessing to Ichigo, it was something that persistently wound its way into Grimm’s thoughts. Coming to the stark realization that he harbored such intense feelings for the other man was an entirely different issue all on it’s own. Now that he was aware of it, the line between friends and lovers became more blurry with each passing day. </p><p>	Clearly, cuddling wasn’t really a “bro” thing, but they’d already crossed that barrier a long time ago. If cuddling was okay… Then what else would Ichigo be okay with? The possibility had an annoying habit of reddening Grimmjow’s face before he could even come up with a plausible answer. It certainly didn’t help that he’d also developed a habit of taking extra long showers after his shifts on thursday nights. How he’d come to having such an overactive imagination, he’d never know. </p><p>	Grimmjow frowned to himself as he towel dried his hair, trying to dissolve the memory of a smoldering sienna gaze and sun-kissed skin. Honestly, it was starting to get out of hand. Unfortunately, it was all he could do until he got up the guts to come clean to the real thing. </p><p>	Breathing out a sigh, he dropped down onto his mattress, falling back into the cool cotton of his bedding, and blankly staring at the bunk above him. It wasn’t like himself to feel so caught up on trivial matters. As much as dating had never really interested Grimmjow, it also hadn’t been an option for him to begin with. When he heard his phone buzz from the night stand, he cursed to himself as he slowly sat back up.</p><p>	ABARAI: You free? </p><p>	Grimmjow frowned at the text, trying to place who the hell had slipped into his contacts. He scrolled up the screen for a moment, looking at old messages before he finally pieced it together. Ah. The loud redhead from physiology. Right. Since when were they buddies?</p><p>	JAEGERJAQUEZ: Depends.<br/>
ABARAI: Good. Could you meet me downtown in 15?<br/>
JAEGERJAQUEZ: No.<br/>
ABARAI: 20 then. In front of the laundromat.</p><p>	He frowned at the screen, glancing at his calendar. Thursday, July 14th. He had work again tomorrow morning and then he was bound for Kurosaki’s place. All he really wanted to do right now was some school work before clocking out for the night. </p><p>	ABARAI: Text me when you’re otw.</p><p>	The snarl of annoyance that came as Grimmjow unlocked his phone was one of defeat. He ran the towel one last time over his hair before abandoning it on the floor, frowning as he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. He tried not to pay any mind to his disheveled appearance as he pulled on a baggy grey t-shirt and a pair of torn up stonewash jeans. As he scrutinized his reflection again, he went through the trouble of half tucking in his shirt before securing his pants with a belt. This was fine. It was just Abarai. Whatever.</p><p>	Grimmjow snatched his rubber banded bundle of bucks off of his dresser, stowing it away in his pocket along with his keys before heading out the door. </p><p>	JAEGERJAQUES: Omw<br/>
ABARAI: Sick</p><p>	It was hard to contain his eye roll as he saw the notification ping onto the home screen as he started his jog towards the nearby laundromat. As much as he wasn’t too stoked about going out again today, the sooner he got there, the sooner he would get back home. </p><p>	He almost thought to ask where exactly Renji would be loitering, but you’d have to be blind to miss the gravity defying wonder that was his hair. Grimmjow stopped beside the redhead as he caught his breath, resting his hands on his knees as he panted.</p><p>	“That was impressive! You could do track or something.” Abarai quipped, which only caused Grimmjow to grind his teeth as he held back an annoyed remark. </p><p>	“What’d you call me out here for?” He asked, standing back up again as he started to come back down to a normal breathing rate. </p><p>	“Oh! Uh, do you know what tomorrow is?” Grimmjow frowned at the question, recalling his calendar again as he couldn’t remember anything particularly special about tomorrow’s date.<br/>
“... I’m assuming that you already know that it’s friday.” His observation panned out in his favor as Abarai’s face fell in disbelief.<br/>
“It’s Kurosaki’s birthday.” Grimmjow’s brow furrowed at the news. Sure, it was handy to know ahead of time… but why did Renji call him out here for it? Didn’t he have better things to do? It’s not like they really knew each other all that well anyways. </p><p>	“What’s your game? It’s not like you couldn’t’ve texted me that. Why’d you drag me out here?” Grimmjow interrogated a little, louring at the redhead who seemed to be having a tough time coming up with an answer. </p><p>	“Iunno.” Abarai mumbled, shrugging as he did so. The gesture only left the shorter man confused. </p><p>	“...What?”</p><p>	“Don’t sweat the details, we’re running out of daylight.” Renji one-sidedly concluded as he headed down the street, only leaving Grimmjow to follow behind. The more quiet part of downtown started to fade away as they walked. Switching from convenience stores and computer repair shops to knick-knack kiosks and food vendors. Grimmjow was never really one for the night scene of Tokyo, but tonight he didn’t have much choice in the matter as he was guided along by his classmate. </p><p>	It was hard to keep up as the streets gradually started to bustle with activity. People moving along the sidewalk, stores handing out fliers, music from street performers and the bright lights embellishing businesses. Grimmjow glanced around for Renji, panicking a little as he’d fallen slightly behind. Picking up the pace he managed to catch up again, but not without getting a secure hold onto the back of Abarai’s bag. The taller man jolted, snapping his head around to catch a glimpse at Grimmjow who had strategically avoided his gaze. Even among the low rumble of the crowd, he could still hear the redhead’s cackle. </p><p>	“New to the city still, huh?” He asked loudly, to which Grimm gave no response. Among the smells of fried food and the close proximity of others, he really didn’t have the bandwidth to come up with one either. It seemed that Renji had finally decided to take mercy on him as they stepped into a small shop, the onslaught of noise finally coming to an end as the door closed behind them. It only took a moment for Grimmjow to pull away from Renji, smoothing out the front of his shirt as a curt display of nervousness before he took a moment to take in his surroundings. </p><p>	It wasn’t the most impressive room, but the skill to fit so much product into one space was a marvel to behold. Wooden shelves neatly labelled and filled with vast and bizarre varieties of candy lined the store. Even in the modest lighting the sweets shone vibrantly within the glass jars. In his bout of amazement, Renji managed to slip away, leaving Grimmjow to his own devices. He wandered down the rows, marvelling to himself until he came across a black cat perched in the store window. </p><p>	Grimmjow almost had to do a double take as the animated green eyes made contact with his own. No fuckin way! He cautiously approached the cat as it stood up from it’s resting place, only feeling his suspicions confirm themselves as it began to speak. </p><p>	“You too, huh?” It asked, leaving Grimmjow in a brief moment of silence as he looked around the quiet store. He crouched down, trying to be as discreet as possible; the beads of sweat already starting to form on his forehead.  </p><p>	“Could you keep it down?” He hissed, trying to remain with a hushed voice as he continued to nervously glance around the room. The last thing he wanted was for a fuck-ass cat to throw a wrench into his dwindling social life.<br/>
“That’s not exactly information that I wanna broadcast.” Grimmjow added, taking a deep breath as he tried to maintain his composure. It took years of practice to get his temper under control in an attempt to keep the more feline side of himself a secret. He wasn’t about to let all of that hard work go to waste over something like this. </p><p>	“Broadcasting it to who?” The cat prodded, seemingly unbothered by the ordeal.</p><p>	“Listen here old man, I know you saw me come in here with someone.” Cats weren’t exactly masters of facial expressions, but Grimmjow knew a smirk when he saw one. </p><p>	“How could I miss it? Holding onto his bag like a lost kitten.” The feline jabbed back at him, a dry laugh coming from the small animal. </p><p>	The man huffed in frustration as he stood back up, jabbing a finger at the feline.<br/>
“It’s noisy as fuck out there! You know that!” He proclaimed before nearly jumping out of his skin. </p><p>	“... Jaegerjaquez?” A familiar voice came as Grimmjow quickly turned around, all of the blood just about draining from his face.<br/>
“You know that Mr.Yoruichi is just a cat, right? He can’t understand you.” Ichigo informed, which only added insult to injury. </p><p>	“Yeah… Of course I knew that.” Grimmjow immediately backtracked, swallowing heavily as he tried to get a better grasp of the situation. Why the hell did Abarai bring me here? The taller man was still at a complete loss with that front, even as he took a moment to survey Ichigo’s appearance. </p><p>	A ponytail. Nice. Not to mention the white bandanna that he had secured around his head, effectively holding his bangs out of the way. His shirt seemed to be a uniform of some kind. All white with red text that read “Urahara Shouten.” So he worked here then. </p><p>	“What’re you doing here? I didn’t think you had work tonight.” Kurosaki asked, effectively whisking him away from his thoughts. </p><p>	“Abarai brought me here.” He watched as the shorter man’s eyebrows furrowed. </p><p>	“I didn’t know you knew each other. It’s nice to see you with other people though. Are you friends?” Ichigo continued, seemingly unbothered by Grimmjow’s outburst directed at the cat that only occurred a few moments ago. </p><p>	“I wouldn’t say that…” He trailed off, glancing around for a distraction. It wasn’t like he could be super enthusiastic about a conversation leading into his utter lack of a social life outside of the man before him. As if by the grace of whatever deity took mercy on him, Renji made his return. Though naught without company. </p><p>	“Grimmjow! It’s great to make your acquaintance.” A hat-clad man emerged from behind Renji, a fan meagerly hiding the grin plastered across his face. Just from the brief moment alone Grimmjow could tell that the man was quite a character. </p><p>	“What’s with that look? I’ve heard a lot about you.” That comment only left him even further in the dark, though the blush that had creeped onto Ichigo’s face told another story. So… Kurosaki talked about him… at work? Grimmjow was momentarily distracted by the idea, though the mention of his given name took priority for the time being. </p><p>	“Don’t talk like you know me.” He shot back, clearly not inviting the man’s friendly advances. It was enough to try to keep up with everything going on. Classmates inviting him places out of the blue, running into another shifter and finding where Ichigo worked? It was a lot for a guy to take in. </p><p>	“Well,” The man drawled on, ignoring Grimmjow’s protests.<br/>
“Ichigo here calls me Hat-n-clogs, so go ahead and use that if you want.” He laughed at himself before turning to Renji, the wry smile still lingering on his face.<br/>
“If you’re not gonna work, you should probably go. You’re gonna scare away the customers.” </p><p>	Abarai grimaced as he glanced around the empty shop, pulling his bag more securely over his shoulders.<br/>
“Sure, as if you get customers to begin with.” Renji shot back as he headed towards the door, gesturing for Jaegerjaquez to follow. Grimmjow glanced over his shoulder as he stepped out the door, trying to get one more glimpse of Kurosaki before they left. </p><p>	Grimmjow deflated again as he took in the rush of the city, only now with the cool air of the evening biting at his skin. He brought his hands up to rub at his bare arms, huffing a little as he tried to warm up. </p><p>	“Can you please cut the bullshit and tell me why you dragged me out here tonight?” He asked, exhausted and utterly exasperated. </p><p>	“Don’t you want to get something for Ichigo? He’ll be 20 this year, and from what I’ve heard it’s his first away from home.” Renji explained, slowly becoming bashful now of all times. What was there to be embarrassed about? It’s not like Kurosaki was his boyfriend or anything. Why was it his job to get him a present?</p><p>	As much as the bitchiest part of his mind insisted, the side that was currently muddled by everything speckled and orange was more than willing to relent. Grimmjow frowned, cursing as he could already feel the beginnings of a blush seep into his cheeks. </p><p>“Fine. Let’s make it quick.” Grimmjow reluctantly agreed as he started off down the sidewalk with Abarai following closely behind. As much as he would never want to admit it, Grimmjow wanted an excuse to give Kurosaki a gift. Sure, exchanging notes for home cooked meals and spending time together were pretty good all on their own, but there was a certain satisfaction of giving the other man a present that Grimmjow had been craving to taste. </p><p>As he navigated the busy streets, he managed to find some sort of clarity in the solace of coming up with a decent gift for Kurosaki. At the very least he was aware of his fixation with the man’s hair, and at the moment, it was a good place to start. Grimmjow came to a stop before a souvenir shop, the cluster of random gifts feeling somewhat welcoming given his current situation. </p><p>	Quickly glancing behind himself, he made sure to note that Abarai was keeping up with him. With that confirmed, he scoured the store. The few hair accessories he did find were far too glittery and cutesy for Jaegerjaquez to reasonably see Ichigo wearing, which temporarily vetoed that idea. It didn’t take long for him to spot the phone charms, marvelling at the variety of shapes, sizes and colors as he rummaged through the bins. Chuckling to himself, Grimmjow presented his prize.  </p><p>The look on Abarai’s face was priceless. Dangling from Grimmjow’s finger was a tiny phone strap with a mini sausage octopus hanging from the end. It might have been a bit of a stretch in terms of Kurosaki’s tastes, but if he could wear that damn ‘Nice vibe” shirt around like it was nothing, he’d probably dig the hell outta this. </p><p>Grimmjow damn near paraded the knick-knack to the checkout counter. He slapped that bad boy down before reaching into his pocket and retrieving his “wallet.” The cashier chuckled as she handled the charm, packaging it up neatly in a small paper bag before sliding it back across the table. </p><p>“Your hair is like, so cool.” The clerk said, a smile on her face before she paused to recite the total. The compliment took Grimmjow by surprise as he cocked his head to look at the girl. Nobody had bothered to mention his hair before. Blue was a natural color… right?<br/>
“Uhm… Thanks.” He handed the girl his money before giving the clerk an awkward thumbs-up.<br/>
“Purple. It’s good.” Grimmjow said stiffly, only causing the violet haired girl to laugh again as she handed him his change. </p><p>“Thank you!” She chimed again before giving a nod and bidding him farewell, effectively ending the conversation. </p><p>With that, the 3D color coded duo paraded their way back out of the shop. As pleased as Grimmjow was with his find, he figured it was somewhat lacklustre all on its own. So… what would reasonably go with an octopus weenie, and be useful to Ichigo? He pondered this question for a good while, his brows knitted together in thought. </p><p>Grimmjow’s gaze fixated on the slabs of pavement as they passed beneath his feet, picking apart his brain as he tried to come up with a good component for his gift. As much as he’d like to cook Kurosaki dinner and call it a day in terms of birthday gifts, it wouldn’t be considered special if that was a solid staple of their friday nights already. The shorter man came to a halt, startling Renji who had been quietly following behind. </p><p>“There’s gotta be a place that sells bento boxes around here.” He declared as he turned around to face the redhead who wasn’t following along quite yet.<br/>
“For the charm. I can put it in the bento box. It’ll be genius.” Grimmjow continued, his demeanor quite intense despite the lack of gravity to the situation. He watched as Abarai gave a small nod, the sunglasses perched on his head glinting in the street lights.<br/>
Thus the pair started their journey to the nearest home supply shop, beelining their way to the tupperware and lunch prep section. After several moments of leering over every bento box they had to offer, Grimmjow came to a decision. It wasn’t anything fancy, but it was something he was sure that Kurosaki would use.<br/>
It was a 3 tiered, plastic bento box. It wasn’t huge, but it was never Grimmjow’s intention for Ichigo to pack an entire lunch in the thing. Some of the classes he was in lasted for two hours or more, and he wanted to make sure that the redhead was at least snacking when he couldn’t stop to eat a full meal. The amount of thought he put into the gift was almost embarrassing, but really, was he wrong to wanna make sure that his friend was eating regularly? </p><p>At the checkout counter, Grimmjow snagged some chocolate-flavored cookies to slip into the bento box alongside the charm. He couldn’t quite remember when it came up, but he knew that the redhead had a taste for chocolate. It didn’t take long for Grimmjow to check out, hurrying out the door as if there was a fire under his ass. He had a big day to prepare for tomorrow! Hopefully he could catch Nelliel before she headed to work for the night. </p><p>The blue haired man parted ways with Renji, quickly thanking him for dragging him out tonight, even if he was a sour-ass for the first half of the trip. It’d been a while since Grimmjow found himself sprinting home. Cold night air biting at his arms and flooding his lungs as he ran, a plastic bag clutched tightly in his fist. </p><p>He had to tell Ichigo. The weight of trying to put his words together was enough to make his stomach sour, even amidst the exhilaration of his sneakers pounding against the pavement. How the fuck was he supposed to open up to him? Comparing this to something as simple as tearing off a band-aid was preposterous. It felt more like he’d been given a five-minute briefing before performing open heart surgery. </p><p>Grimmjow burst in through the doorway of his apartment, heaving as he slid off his sneakers, looking up to meet Nelliel who was just finishing her breakfast. </p><p>“Nel,” He gasped, wiping the sweat from his forehead as he clutched the bag against his chest, grappling for a steady breath. </p><p>“I’m gonna tell him.” Grimmjow blurted, feeling a wave of warmth burst from behind his eyes. God, he could cry. It’s so scary.<br/>
“Tomorrow. I’ll show him-.” He stood up properly, taking another deep breath.<br/>
“Everything.” Grimmjow finished, leaving his older sister in a somewhat perplexed state as she was still halfway through a glass of orange juice. </p><p>The dress-clad woman smiled sweetly as she set down her glass, canting her head to the side before speaking. </p><p>“I’ll be here when you come home. No matter what.” She assured, standing from her lean against the countertop. </p><p>The blue haired man slouched a bit with exhaustion as he was pulled into the woman’s arms. He couldn’t even find it in himself to complain as the sequined surface of her dress scratched at his skin, but feeling her secure embrace was the final straw. As humiliating as it was, he couldn’t keep his frame from trembling. He nuzzled his face into the thick teal waves, strands sticking to the tears that began to escape from his eyes. </p><p>“I’m so scared.” Grimmjow murmured, his voice cracking in the whispered tone. Her grip tightened, the light scrape of manicured nails running along the fabric of his tank top. It’d been a long time since he’d cried. It wasn’t something that Grimmjow ever let anyone see. Such vulnerability wasn’t commonplace. Even so, his small gasps progressed to sobs, his hands straining for purchase as he embraced the only person in the whole fuckin universe that could truly protect him. </p><p>Nelliel cooed softly as she comforted him. Running fingers through the stray hairs at the nape of his neck and occasionally nodding when Grimmjow managed to heave out a word. Eventually his outburst began to wind back down, the tension uncoiling from his body. God, she’s probably gonna be late for work by now. He grimaced a little at the thought, even as he found himself dreading the moment that he’d have to let go. Grimmjow swallowed thickly, taking a final inhale before separating himself from the woman. </p><p>He rubbed away at his eyes, sniffling for a moment as he refused to meet Nelliel’s gaze.<br/>
“It’ll be okay, Grimm.” She secured her hand around Grimmjow’s wrist, only to be met with a downcast gaze. A look she would expect from an ashamed child, almost foreign on her brother’s tear stained face.<br/>
“Look at me,” Nel insisted. With a moment of hesitation, he met her gaze. God, it always felt like she could see right through him. Those tawny brown eyes had always been a haven for Grimmjow. Her hands were cold as they cupped his face, and he had to refrain from rolling his eyes as she gave his cheek a gentle squeeze.<br/>
“I’m here for you. You can do this. I promise.” She reassured again, to which the teary-eyed man could only give a feeble nod. </p><p>	Nelliel grinned, her magenta lipstick shining in the fluorescent lights of the kitchen. He did what he could to smile back, an awkward laugh coming right along with it. She gave him a firm pat on the shoulder before pulling completely away. </p><p>	“Thanks.” He murmured, voice still a little wet with tears.</p><p>	“Don’t mention it.” Nel chimed back, pulling her purse up over her shoulder before stepping out the door, giving the man a brief wave before making her leave. </p><p>Hearing the front door click shut only left Grimmjow with an awkward numbness in his chest. It’s been a while since his tear ducts felt this exhausted, and the soft sniffles that he gave were only further evidence of his subsided breakdown.<br/>
Grimmjow knew that if he returned to his room that Ulquiorra would still be awake, and he wasn’t quite sure if he wanted to subject his little brother to the current state he was in. He frowned as he dropped onto the couch, sinking deeper into the cushions as he blankly stared at the dimly lit ceiling. </p><p>He really hoped he wouldn’t cry again tomorrow. Anything but that.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Not many of you would know this right off the bat but! The cashier in the souvenir shop is me lol. I figured it's be fun to let me cameo in my own fic</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Running late</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>A late night at work leads to a flurry of unexpected events.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>* This is the first NSFW heavy chapter!! It isn't until the second half but!! I just thought I'd warn y'all *</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Are you fuckin kidding? I was supposed to be punched out an hour ago!” Grimmjow snapped, his grip on the spatula becoming taught enough to nearly bend the metal utensil. In the wake of his gaze stood a glasses clad woman, her hair neatly pulled back into a long braid. Her scowl was one that could easily rival her miffed coworker’s. </p><p>“Listen, this isn’t a fuckin party for me either. Kensei called in, and we haven’t found anyone else to cover his shift.” Lisa bit back, digging through the apron that hung around her waist. Grimmjow stiffened, fighting with his frustration and his own sense of reason. He was already running late! What the fuck?! He turned back towards the stove without another word, his pout only saturating as the woman pegged another order into the board. </p><p>It wasn’t surprising that the diner was out-the-ass busy on a friday night, but he just wished that he could at least have a break long enough to message the redhead who was currently spending his 20th birthday all by himself. Sure, it wasn’t really his fault, but the guilt brewing in his gut was only spurring on his pissy mood. </p><p>He tried to ignore the ache of irritation as he tended to the surge of dinner orders. At the very least, staying this busy kept his mind from wandering too much past the neatly wrapped gift that was currently stowed away in a black shoulder bag in the breakroom. Well, it still didn’t stop him from being a bitchy asshole, though that wasn’t any different from normal either. Luckily, everyone that worked there had an attitude in their own way. </p><p>Grimmjow was stirred from his work as a small green haired woman peeked in through the window from the dining area. She propped her elbow up in the sill, sighing a little as she got comfortable. He almost had the mind to ignore her before she decided to open her big mouth. </p><p>“I miss Kensei, it’s no fun without him.” Mashiro huffed absentmindedly, even as the ruckus of the bustling diner clearly suggested that she had more pressing duties to take care of. </p><p>“You’re preaching to the fuckin choir. Why isn’t the old fart here anyways?” He asked, only making the girl laugh.<br/>
“You know he hates when you say that.” She chided.<br/>
“Why the fuck do you think I do it?” Grimmjow smirked as he cracked an egg onto the grill.<br/>
“Why ain’t he here?” He asked again, only receiving a thoughtful look from the girl. </p><p>“I dunno, he usually doesn’t call in like this. I’m almost worried, but then I remember it’s Kensei we’re talkin about.” She replied, once again using far too many words to answer an incredibly simple question. </p><p>“Whatever. Has anyone gotten in touch with Love yet? I really need to get outta here.” Grimmjow pressed, using the back of his spatula to sear a patty into the sweltering grill.<br/>
“He’s got that comic book club or whatever tonight, he never works fridays.” She replied, cleaning out her ear with a pinky as she absently stared at the wall. </p><p>“I can’t work a double today, I’ve got someone waitin’ on me.” Grimmjow urged again, feeling his vexation begin to peak. He was startled a little as a warm weight rested on his shoulder, his head whipping around to meet an incredibly large torso. How Hachi worked the kitchen and moved as swiftly as he did, Grimmjow would never know. There were times where he felt cramped when he was working all by himself for god’s sake. </p><p>“Sorry to intrude… But if it’s that important, I wouldn’t mind doing the rest of the evening by myself.” He offered, a kind yet worried smile gracing his features. </p><p>“Really?” Hachi nodded.<br/>
“Seriously?” He nodded again. </p><p>Grimmjow stiffened a little, the surge of relief and urgency running through him just about shorting a circuit he didn’t know he had. </p><p>“T-Thank you so much!” He excitedly whipped back to the food on the grill, at least serving up the meals he had already begun to prep. If it had been any earlier in the day, Grimmjow would have insisted on staying. Fortunately, it was only an hour or so before close, and by then the crowd would become more manageable. </p><p>He’d never punched out of work so quickly in his whole damn life. Grimmjow sprinted to the train station, anxiously pacing around as he waited for the next ride to arrive. More pressingly, he checked his phone.</p><p>KUROSAKI: You work second shift tonight, right? Same time as usual?</p><p>	Grimmjow felt his heart sink as he saw several unread messages, all of them a couple hours apart. </p><p>	KUROSAKI: I’ve got dinner ready! I went to the grocery store after work yesterday so I splurged a little. :)<br/>
KUROSAKI: Hey! I hope everything is alright at work, I saved you some leftovers.<br/>
KUROSAKI: It’s getting kinda late, I hope you’re okay. I locked the door. Call me if you forgot your key. </p><p>	The blue haired man completely deflated as he sunk into the plastic train bench. A half an hour until midnight, and he’d just about missed Ichigo’s entire birthday. Some friend he was. Even after Nel and Renji put in all that effort. What a glorious clusterfuck this was. </p><p>	As if to rub salt in the wound, Grimmjow spent the duration of the train ride berating himself for not asking about Ichigo’s birthday. At least then he could have taken the whole day off and avoid the entire mess to begin with. </p><p>	By the time he exited the train, it was a quarter to midnight. Clutching his work bag tightly, he broke off into a sprint. No way in hell he was gonna let the fuckin clock beat him. Fuck that! The reckless pacing of his strides was enough to put off his balance, nearly sending him tumbling onto the sidewalk several times. Even so, he continued onward, the impact of each thunderous step echoing off of the soaring buildings and absolutely punishing the joints of his knees. </p><p>	Grimmjow’s pace never relented, head tilted slightly back as he continued to force air into his aching lungs, his fingers throbbing in their effort to keep a sturdy hold on the woven polyester bag. As he approached Ichigo’s apartment building, he hardly yielded, even in wake of the worn stairs as they groaned beneath each heavy stride. It took the strength of a warrior to not simply collapse at Ichigo’s front door. </p><p>	With trembling hands he fished through the pockets of his work uniform to produce the spare apartment key, cursing to himself as he continued to miss the key slot. Upon opening the front door, Grimmjow was met with a burst of cool air, making the man sigh in relief as he drug himself inside. </p><p>As he expected, the apartment was quiet. Grimmjow did his best to keep the noise down as he locked the door behind himself, discarding his shoes as he wandered deeper into the home. He paused in the kitchen, setting his bag on the table and retrieving the carefully wrapped gift that was now a bit crinkled and marred from the less-than-gentle trip. </p><p>Grimmjow frowned as he looked down at the present in his hands, watching his distorted reflection in the foiled wrapping. He stood there for another moment, quietly pondering, as he knew damn well what was yet to come. As if in defeat, he breathed out a final sigh before lifting his head, a startled noise catching in his throat at the faintly illuminated figure before him. </p><p>“Fuck- Kurosaki?” He sucked in a breath, trying to calm his soaring heartbeat.<br/>
“Give a guy a little warning, will yo-?” He stopped himself, only now registering the look on the redhead’s face. Somehow, that expression alone was enough to dispel the ache of guilt from his stomach. At times like this, he wondered how he ever lived without Kurosaki by his side. </p><p>Even though the redhead was clearly still half asleep, his smile was warm. He rubbed at his eyes, and pushed his bangs from his face, a tired laugh falling from his lips. Grimmjow had to pull himself back to reality, the distraction of the redhead’s natural beauty enough influence to render him silent. </p><p>“Oh um- Happy Birthday. I’m sorry I was late.” He rushed, extending his hands, presenting the gift to Ichigo who was slowly processing the information given his groggy state. The freckled man took the roughed up gift into his hands, carefully untying the ribbon. </p><p>“Thank you, I’m happy you’re here.” Kurosaki smiled again as he peeled back the paper, a look of curiosity coming across his face at the sleek black bento box. He looked up at Grimmjow, a hint of confusion in his gaze. </p><p>“Open it,” Grimmjow urged as he stepped closer, clearly excited. The sentiment was enough to bring another small snicker from Ichigo, only making the taller man bashfully avert his eyes. </p><p>It wasn’t until he heard the redhead suppress a laugh, then a snicker, and a giggle. Grimmjow watched in a bit of awe as the long haired man began to laugh in earnest, the small phone charm dangling from his finger. </p><p>“I never- pff.” He stopped, trying to suppress another laugh.<br/>
“A cocktail weenie? Snrk-” Ichigo shook his head, his smile only spreading. Grimmjow watched, a contagious smile appearing on his lips. </p><p>So… does that mean he likes it? Was a sausage octopus really that weird for a phone charm? Clearly, the confusion had wormed its way onto his face as well. </p><p>“I love it,” Ichigo confirmed as he carefully put the charm back into the box, stepping past Jaegerjaquez to set the gift onto the kitchen counter. The taller man started to turn around, following the redhead’s presence until he was stopped, feeling the warmth of Ichigo’s presence pressed up against his back. </p><p>Grimmjow froze, his eyes widening as Kurosaki secured his arms around his waist. He just prayed he wasn’t mistaken to feel the redhead nuzzle his face between his shoulder blades. He stood there awkwardly, unsure of what to do with his arms- or at all, for that matter. </p><p>“Um, Kurosa-”<br/>
“Don’t speak,” Ichigo spoke in a rush, effectively coercing Grimmjow’s mouth shut.<br/>
“Give me a moment. Please. It’s important.” He insisted, the grip around his waist becoming marginally tighter. If that didn’t have Grimmjow sweating bullets, he didn’t know what fucking would. As much as he knew that being tense as hell wasn’t going to help the situation any, he couldn’t help the rush of anxiety that put his body on autopilot. Well, pause seemed to be more accurate. </p><p>As the time continued to drag on, he could feel Ichigo’s grip start to tremble, and it seemed that fear had both of them by the throat. Even after the tremendous moment of hesitation, Grimmjow had the mind to give an unsteady nod. His distress had grown but his patience remained. </p><p>“Grimmjow,” He could feel the hair on the nape of his neck stand on end. The sound of his first name sounded like home on Kurosaki’s lips. </p><p>“I’m in love with you,” Grimmjow’s eyes widened, his breath catching in his throat as the redhead managed out the set of words. Despite how his voice shook, his certainty was unwavering as his embrace remained steadfast. </p><p>Time had never halted quite like this before. Everything was so loud. Ichigo’s heartbeat, the metronome tick-tock of the clock in the kitchen and the dull whrr of cars as they passed outside, briefly illuminating the living room in a dull ivory light. He’d never thought of what to do if Kurosaki beat him to the punch. It was hard to even think, his mind in utter chaos as he struggled to even come up with a half decent reply. </p><p>Ichigo’s grasp started to recede, the tension left stale in the air. Grimmjow quickly turned, only being met with a tight jaw and downcast eyes. Wait! Wait!</p><p>“Hold on a damn minute! It’s your turn to wait for me, dammit!” He insisted, pointing at the redhead whose expression had blanked, clearly confused. </p><p>“I haven’t been completely honest with you.” Grimmjow grimaced, glancing away for a moment as he tried to find his will to keep speaking. Even so, Kurosaki stayed silent.</p><p>“Promise me that you won’t hate me.” He continued, the grip of fear already weighing on his heart like a wet blanket. It was suffocating. Ichigo blinked, his gaze a little uncertain as he nodded. </p><p>“I promise.” He assured.</p><p>Grimmjow bit his lip, letting his gaze fall down to his feet. He let his eyes drift closed, taking a small step back, putting some distance between himself and the redhead. </p><p>It wasn’t always a gradual process, but tonight he wanted to take it slow. Even if it was his own body, it still felt foreign as hell. Slowly but surely, Grimmjow’s body began to change. At first it was little things, like the shape of his teeth and the curl of his fingers. As he continued, his ears started to take shape into rounded and fluffy little things, dark black markings forming around his eyes and his nose flattening out into a muzzle. </p><p>Even as he stood there, half shifted, he couldn’t bring himself to open his eyes. His curled paws fidgeted before him, tail curled tightly around his leg. White fur had already sprouted from his skin, only catching every ounce of heat that the apartment had to offer. </p><p>“Are you scared?” He asked, only now letting his eyes drift open, large and round, reflecting the warm fluorescent kitchen lights. Grimmjow’s mouth fell open in disbelief as the redhead slowly shook his head. He could feel his jaw tighten, a feeble attempt to hold in everything that he wished he could say. Who wouldn’t be afraid? Why wasn’t he running right now?</p><p>“You’re still you.” Ichigo spoke, reaching out to place a hand atop Grimmjow’s much larger paw. Grimmjow shook his head, still not quite wrapping his head around everything. </p><p>“You’re beautiful, Grimmjow,” He spoke again, taking another step closer to close the space between them. </p><p>Grimmjow wasn’t sure what to think. He’d never been… accepted quite like this. No fear, no yelling, no accusations. It was all so alien. Gently, he began to lean down, letting his forehead rest against Kurosaki’s, nuzzling against him as the redhead gave an airy laugh. </p><p>After a moment, a warm hand came to rest on the back of his head, causing the taller man to flinch. </p><p>“Is this okay?” Kurosaki asked hesitantly as he began to lightly rub and scratch behind one of Grimmjow’s ears. For a moment, he thought to speak, but it’d been so insanely long since… His mind began to blank. God, this felt fantastic. </p><p>There wasn’t any resistance as Grimmjow’s head fell down to rest on Ichigo’s shoulder, the low hum of appreciation bubbling in his throat. Another airy laugh. It was hard to believe that he’d ever become so tame. As embarrassing of a revelation that it was, Grimmjow couldn’t find it in himself to pull away. </p><p>“I’m um-,” Grimmjow mumbled, his words coming clumsily.<br/>
“I love you,” He winced a little at his words, as he hid away in the crook of Ichigo’s neck. To confess now would be an act of cowardice, but they were words that Ichigo still deserved to hear. Ichigo’s embrace remained steadfast as he held the overgrown feline in his arms.</p><p>Ichigo tilted his head down, nuzzling into the fur atop Grimmjow’s head.<br/>
“I’m so happy,” He murmured, only making the taller man’s heart soar with elation. </p><p>The steady beat of Kurosaki’s heart was comforting as a gentle thrum of a chuff began to rumble in his chest. The sound was foreign to Grimmjow’s ears, it was almost funny to think that even an overgrown feline like himself still had his own way of purring. Ichigo’s fingers continued to gently card through his hair for an impossibly long period. His concept of time had become skewed, as he wasn’t sure if he could really trust the light ache in his knees from the exceptional print he accomplished what he assumed to be only minutes ago. </p><p>“Jaegerjaquez,” He huffed a little at the name, once again cursing his past self for being such a prick. </p><p>“Grimmjow is fine.” The taller man mumbled, still refusing to lift his head from Ichigo’s shoulder. Standing or not, he could definitely feel the weight of sleep tugging at his eyelids. </p><p>“Okay, Grimmjow,” Ichigo’s tone accentuated his name in a playful way.<br/>
“You’re gettin’ kinda heavy, D’ya wanna head to bed?” He suggested, his hand sliding from the nape of his neck, gently trailing down to rest on the small of his back. The gesture was enough to shoot a jolt of energy right down the panther’s spine as he sat up, effectively pulling his weight off of Ichigo’s body.</p><p>	“Yeah- um, Sure!” He paused, trying to stop himself from spewing out nonsense. What the fuck was he so riled up for? How was this different from any other time he’d stayed over? Well, other than the whole mutual confession thing. No biggie. Mhm. yeah. Totally normal and also fine. Sure.<br/>
“I’m just-” He took a step away, Ichigo’s hand falling from his back.<br/>
“Gonna go get changed,” Grimmjow confirmed as he retreated to the kitchen to grab his work bag before escaping to the bathroom. At the very least, it was startling to catch a glimpse of himself in the bathroom mirror, fluffy ears and all. </p><p>	He shook it off (literally) as he reverted back to his human form as he changed clothes. Nothing out of the ordinary. Donning a white wife beater and a pair of briefs, he tried to get his mind out of the gutter. Nothing good would come from his eagerness, and surely a confession of love was nothing to jump the gun over. He frowned. Was it? He shook his head again. Well, he might as well brush his teeth… extra well… Just in case. </p><p>	Ichigo had already climbed back into bed by the time he finally returned. Finding his place beside him was like second nature. He rolled over to face the redhead, his breath hitching a little as Kurosaki’s eyes met his own. </p><p>	“I kinda expected to still see at least some fur when you came back,” Ichigo laughed a little as he sat up, scooting a bit closer to Grimmjow before laying back down, efficiently closing whatever space that he’d unintentionally put between them. </p><p>	“Sorry to disappoint,” Grimmjow muttered, shifting his gaze away in a feeble attempt to keep a blush from tinting his cheeks. </p><p>	“S’ alright,” Ichigo leaned closer, the afterimage of a breath hitting his cheeks.<br/>
“It’s easier to kiss you this way.” Grimmjow gasped a little just before Kurosaki’s warm lips pressed firm against his own. Saying it was warm, was nearly an understatement. It only lasted a brief moment, but it was enough to set his nerves alight. </p><p>	Kurosaki was the first to pull away, the apartment air almost stale as the pair took in a shared breath. It was Grimmjow who was the first to move in for another. He let himself become a little more forceful, relishing in the soft but solid press of the redhead’s lips, and the uneven pants that rushed through his nose. </p><p>	It wasn’t until when Ichigo’s lips parted that Grimmjow’s brain truly blanked. There wasn’t a hint of resistance as Kurosaki worked his mouth open, and the low groan that bubbled in his throat seemed to be more than enough of a reward for his freckled partner. </p><p>	He’d hardly realized that Ichigo had moved until the weight of the other man rested on his hips, warm palms burning against his chest. Ichigo sat up, his chest heaving, face flushed. The grin that spread across his lips was downright sinful. Grimmjow gulped, his eyes widening a little in amazement, as he tried to commit the expression to memory. </p><p>	“Everything okay?” Grimmjow nodded, words catching his throat.<br/>
“Wanna keep going?” The question was enough to send a rush of heat right down to his groin. For a moment, he wished that he’d thought more about what to do if the evening went well. Too well, even. </p><p>	“Yeah,” He managed out, only coaxing a snicker from the man above him. </p><p>	“Grimmjow, is this your first time?” Ichigo asked, instantly dousing him in the icy cold water of embarrassment. How the fuck can he get laid under his current circumstances? Of course, he couldn’t bring himself to really say that, instead settling for a quiet gaze to the side. </p><p>	The redhead was quite taken aback by this, his eyebrows receding a little too far beneath the curtain of his bangs.</p><p>	“Hey, it’s alright,” He reached out, cupping the side of Grimmjow’s face with his hand, gently turning it back to meet the blue haired man’s gaze. </p><p>	“We can take things slow if you want to,” Ichigo reassured, unintentionally adding to Grimmjow’s humiliation. </p><p>	“It’s fine- I’d be outta my damn mind to wimp out on you.” Grimmjow pouted, pressing his lips together in a firm line.<br/>
“I’ve wanted this for longer than I wanna fuckin’ admit.” Ichigo’s smile returned. </p><p>	“Okay, Okay.” The redhead’s fingers trailed back down Grimmjow’s face, grazing along his neck before settling back down on his chest. It was hard not to shiver, even under the heated touch. Each of Ichigo’s movements were lightly accentuated by the gentle tickle of his hair as it cascaded over his shoulders, effectively framing his face as he gazed down. </p><p>	Grimmjow tensed a little in surprise as Ichigo leaned forward, dusting kisses against the sharp edge of his jaw, effectively coaxing the taller man into tilting his head back. He blinked a few times, hardly registering the cool moonlight that flooded the room amidst the hot breaths and open-mouthed kisses that Ichigo laid against his neck. </p><p>	As much as Grimmjow hated his awkward nature, there wasn’t much he could do about it on his own. Everything about physical touch- intimate or otherwise, had been out of his reach since forever. He just hoped that it wouldn’t deter the redhead too much. </p><p>	“Nn-” The taller man cut off a groan as Ichigo began to suck on the sensitive flesh of his neck. He reached up tentatively, fisting his hands into the material of Ichigo’s shirt, urging him further. </p><p>	Kurosaki sat up again, the stark contrast between his warm mouth and the cool apartment air caused Grimmjow to gasp. Even the shift of Ichigo’s hips as he moved down Grimmjow’s body seemed to be enough to rile up the blue haired man further. He couldn’t remember a time that his body was so responsive to anything. It was almost unfair, really. </p><p>	Grimmjow sat up on his elbows, watching with interest as the Redhead made himself at home between his legs. The taller man’s heart rate surged as Ichigo’s hand ghosted over the not-so-subtle tent in his briefs, and it took a conscious effort not to finish right there and then. The memories of shower clad jack-offs really weren’t helping the situation any. </p><p>	It was almost maddening to watch as the redhead’s fingers trailed over the dark fabric of his briefs, right up until he pressed his palm against the warm bulge, only urging another groan of appreciation from Grimmjow’s throat. </p><p>	“Kurosaki-” His head fell back, heaving a breath as the freckled man’s hand began to massage against his thinly clothed member. It was difficult to even think at the moment, and Grimmjow wondered how long he’d even be able to last at this rate. </p><p>	Ichigo’s other hand began to play with the elastic of his briefs, letting it gently snap against the taught skin of his stomach. His eyes watched with interest as Grimmjow’s cock twitched, only straining further against the fabric. The redhead leaned down, pressing the flat of his tongue against the head of Grimm’s cock, teasing it through the thin material. </p><p>	“Fuck-” Grimmjow lifted his head back up, his face flushed red. “Kurosaki, please,” He urged again, rocking his hips upward, seeking more of whatever the other man would offer. </p><p>	“I’ve got your dick in my hand and you’re still using my last name?” Ichigo sat up a little bit, his face twisted in something akin to smug disbelief. </p><p>	The blue haired man’s face flared with warmth at the accusation, a groan of frustration following as Kurosaki’s hands retreated to rest on the apex of his thighs. </p><p>	“Really? You’re doing this now?” He huffed a little in frustration. Unfortunately for Grimmjow, it seemed that his lust was a stronger force than his ego. Ichigo only nodded, seeming more amused now than anything. </p><p>	“Ichigo,” His gaze lowered a little, his lower lip jutting out a bit (like usual) as he pouted. “Please, I’m fuckin dyin’ here.” He insisted, deep blue eyes flickering to meet their bronze counterparts. </p><p>	Luckily, Grimmjow didn’t have to savor his embarrassment for much longer, as his words of urgency seemed to be more than enough for the man above him. It was hard not to gasp as Ichigo yanked down the elastic of his briefs, his cock springing free and standing tall between them. </p><p>	Kurosaki’s mouth fell open in a bit of awe, his hand coming to wrap around the base. His fingers gave a generous stroke, which was more than enough to have the taller man groaning in appreciation. Grimmjow watched in interest as Ichigo leaned back down, wrapping his lips around the head of his cock without a beat of hesitation. </p><p>	Grimmjow nearly howled at the sudden heat, Kurosaki’s expression almost unnaturally serene as he moaned around his member. The taller man drew out a long keen of pleasure as Kurosaki’s voice carried, thrumming against his throbbing length. </p><p>	“Holy shit-.” He gasped, chest heaving a little as Ichigo sunk down further. The hot press of his tongue only caused Grimmjow to sit up further, his fingers threading into Ichigo’s unruly locks of hair. It almost seemed too effortless as Ichigo swallowed down his cock, his hand pulling away as he took Grimmjow all the way to the base. </p><p>	The blue haired man’s grip tightened as Kurosaki let out another drawn out moan, the sound changing pitch in time with Grimmjow’s tug. Within a moment, the redhead’s freckled palms were braced against his outer thighs, coaxing his legs further apart. Ichigo’s movements were impossibly fluid as he began to bob his head, only leaving his cock glistening with spit in his wake. </p><p>	“Fuck,” He scrambled a little to gather Ichigo’s hair into his fist, holding it away from his face in a taught grip. “Ichigo, Ichigo,” His words began in a little chant, almost like a prayer as Ichigo’s languid pace continued. </p><p>	Kurosaki came up for air a few moments later, lightly panting as his hand came up to quickly stroke Grimmjow’s spit-slicked length. The smirk of satisfaction that cut across his features was downright merciless. </p><p>	“C’mon,” Ichigo pressed, his thumb rolling over the head of Grimmjow’s length, teasing at the slit before gliding back down again.<br/>
“Cum for me, Grimmjow,” He purred, his gaze smoldering as he took the tip of Jaegerjaquez’s length into his mouth once more. At first the warmth was familiar and almost melting, though that quickly intensified as he began to suck in earnest. </p><p>	Grimmjow’s knees drew up slightly as the heat coiled tightly in his belly, curling up on himself further as he leaned over Ichigo, urging him to stay in place.<br/>
“Fuck- Nngh-.” His words began to muddle together, instead giving off unrestrained moans with each passing breath. Grimmjow’s body shuddered, his grip trembling as the tight bound of coil in his gut began to snap. </p><p>	“Ichigo!” Grimmjow came with a hoarse shout, his eyes screwing shut as Ichigo groaned in approval, his throat working to swallow every drop he was given. In all honesty, if this was his peak in life, Grimmjow could be more than satisfied. </p><p>	The taller man relaxed as he came down from his high, his grip on Ichigo’s hair falling lax. Ichigo sat up slowly, wiping at his lower lip as he met Grimmjow’s gaze once more. The blue haired man fidgeted a little, pulling his briefs back up. He was almost startled as Ichigo came up to drape his arms over Grimmjow’s shoulders, leaning into him until they both fell back onto the futon once again. </p><p>	It was like second nature as Ichigo curled up against him, pulling the redhead tighter into his embrace. Though the prod of Ichigo’s erection against his thigh made him quirk an eyebrow. </p><p>	“Don’t worry about it. It’ll be your turn next time,” The casual tone was enough to spread a flush from the tips of Grimmjow’s ears to the broad expanse of his chest. A promising prospect of a “next time” was a difficult concept to sleep on. </p><p>	Either way, it seemed that exhaustion would be the victor of this battle. An eventful evening came to a satisfying end, and Grimmjow could feel the weight of fatigue on his limbs as he succumbed to sleep.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thank you so much for reading!!</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Gonna slowly put together a playlist for this fic here!<br/>1. Lemon Boy - Cavetown<br/>-Generally, this song defines the tone that this fic is gonna take in regards to their relationship. Listen to it like it's from ichigo's perspective :&gt;<br/>2. Can I Call You Tonight? - Dayglow<br/>-I think this song reminds me of chapter 2-4. The uncertainty is really fitting and appropriate.<br/>3. Smile Like You Mean It - The Killers<br/>-P much self explanatory. Grimmjow's able to pick up on when Ichigo isn't being honest with his feelings. He'd rather have something raw from Ichigo than a fake front that he puts up.<br/>4. Fixin' - Walk The Moon<br/>- From Grimmjow's perspective. The fear of a new relationship. Not knowing what to expect, and even fearing the future.<br/>5. Somewhere Only We Know<br/>- Grimmjow pov again. I like the narrative of this song. It's got the feeling I'm going for lol<br/>6. Me &amp; You Together Song<br/>-I think awkward love songs like this work out really well lol, and the lyrics "I fell in love with her in stages" and "yeah it's you, you're the one that makes me feel right" is pretty accurate too hehe.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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